2025’s First Weekend Witnesses Six Rescues Off Goa’s Beaches by Drishti Marine

INCIDENT REPORT

Panaji, January 2025: Over the first weekend of 2025, a 45-year-old man from Russia was chased and bitten by a pack of stray dogs at South Goa’s Mobor beach on Saturday. The first week of 2025 also saw a woman from Taleigao being stung by a stingray off Velsao beach. In both instances, Drishti Marine lifesavers were quick to respond to the two emergencies, even as the lifesaving personnel rescued four persons from drowning while reuniting two missing children with their parents along the state’s beaches and at the Dudhsagar waterfalls.

Mobor Beach: A 45-year-old Russian national was chased by three stray dogs before he was eventually bitten by one at the beach. The injured person was immediately administered first aid to his affected leg by Drishti Marine lifesavers, after which he was advised to take further medical treatment. It may be recalled that in December 2024, three senior citizens, including two foreign nationals from Russia and the United Kingdom, respectively, were bitten by stray dogs on the beaches of Mobor and Benaulim.

Velsao Beach: A 23-year-old woman from Taleigao accidentally stepped on a stingray at the beach and was stung on her right leg as a result. Drishti Marine lifesavers administered first aid and she was then taken to the nearest health centre for further treatment.

Dudhsagar Waterfalls: Drishti Marine lifesavers averted a tragedy at the Dudhsagar waterfalls, after a child from Haryana who was enjoying the natural water pool wearing a lifejacket, suddenly panicked and cried for help. Her 38-year-old father jumped into the water without a lifejacket and began drowning. Drishti Marine lifesaver Sagar Duhi jumped into the water immediately and rescued the drowning father. 

Baga Beach: A 39-year-old male from Russia was caught in a rip current, after he stepped into a risk-prone area at Baga beach marked by caution tape. Noticing his distress, lifesavers Niranjan and Sushant rushed to assist him with the help of a rescue tube. At the same beach, a seven-year-old girl from Rajasthan was reunited with her parents, after she accidentally separated from her parents. Lifesaver Sainath Gawas comforted the missing child and sourced her father’s contact number from her. He contacted her father over the phone and reunited him with his daughter within 10 minutes. 

Mandrem Beach: A 40-year-old woman from Russia panicked after she was engulfed in a rip current while swimming off Mandrem beach. Lifesaver Karan Tandel rushed to her rescue with a surfboard and was assisted by lifesaver Vikas Masurkar with the help of a jet ski. She was safely brought back to the beach. 

Calangute Beach: A 38-year-old woman from Belarus was rescued by Drishti Marine lifesavers as she was struggling in the water due to a rip current and was not able to escape it. She was brought back to the shore with the help of a surfboard. At the same beach, a three-year-old boy from Uttar Pradesh was reunited with his family by lifesaver Soma Lataye, after he accidentally got separated from them.

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Over Twenty Rescued After Tourist Boat Capsizes off Calangute beach

Incident report

Panaji, December 2024: More than twenty passengers were rescued off Calangute beach by Drishti Marine lifesavers when a tourist boat capsized in the waters on Christmas Day. The passengers ranged between the ages of six and sixty-five years of age. 

A family of 13 from Khed, Maharashtra were among the passengers onboard when the boat capsized. 

The rescue was undertaken after a local tourist boat that was overloaded with more than 20 passengers, capsized almost 60 metres away from the coastline resulting in all the passengers being tossed into the rough sea. 

On spotting the capsizing incident, an alert Drishti Marine lifesaver rushed to aid and called for backup. 

In all eighteen on-duty Drishti Marine lifesavers rushed to the aid of the struggling passengers and brought them to shore safely. 

Many who suffered injuries were administered first aid while passengers with critical injuries were rushed to a waiting ambulance and rushed to the medical centre. 

Of the 20 passengers, two children aged 6 and 7 and two females aged 25 and 55 were revived and have been hospitalized for further treatment.

Two passengers on the boat were not wearing life jackets, further complicating the rescue. 

In the unfortunate incident a male aged 54 lost his life while at the hospital undergoing medical treatment. 

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Five Russian Women Rescued From Drowning in One Day off Candolim, Benaulim Beaches

INCIDENT REPORT

~ Five Russian women tourists were rescued from drowning by Drishti Marine lifesavers on Tuesday on two different beaches in North and South Goa.

Panaji, December, 2024: Five Russian women were rescued from drowning late on Tuesday in two separate incidents in both the districts of the state. 

Drishti Marine lifesavers conducted one triple rescue operation and a double rescue on the beaches of Candolim and Benaulim respectively, saving the lives of the foreign tourists visiting the coastal state, where foreign tourist footfalls peak around December. 

Candolim: Three Russian females between the ages of 30 and 40 years, found themselves stuck in a rip current, while they were swimming together. Lifesaver Kartik Naik noticed them in distress and rushed to their aid. The three Russians were brought back to safety with the help of a rescue board.

Benaulim: Two Russian women, a 51-year-old and 52-year-old, were rescued by Drishti Marine lifesavers Swapnil Farade, Samit and Dasharath Sangodkar after they were caught and dragged further into the sea by a rip current off the beach. The first victim was secured with a rescue tube by Farade and the second was rescued with the help of a jetski by lifesavers Dasharath Sangodkar and Samit.

Drishti Marine urges beachgoers to exercise caution, be responsible while enjoying the water this tourist season and follow instructions from lifesavers posted on the beaches to ensure public safety. 

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Lifesaver Administers First Aid to Senior Citizen Bitten by Stray Dogs at Benaulim Beach

INCIDENT REPORT

~ Six missing children were united with their parents over the weekend, that also witnessed one double rescue and multiple single rescues 

Panaji, December 2024 -- A 60-year-old man from Karnataka was bitten by three stray dogs at south Goa's Benaulim beach on Sunday, even as six missing children were united with their parents over the last weekend, that also witnessed one double rescue and multiple single rescues conducted by Drishti Marine lifesavers along the state's coastline. 

Benaulim beach: After three stray dogs attacked the Karnataka native who was stepping into a shack at the Benaulim beach, the injured person was administered first aid to his right leg, which was bitten by the canines. He was later handed over to medical personnel from the 108 emergency services for further treatment. 

Betalbatim beach: A 21-year-old man from Rajasthan, who had waded around 70 metres into the sea with the help of a bodyboard -- a shorter version of a surfboard -- and was unable to find his way back to the shore, forcing lifesaver Sarvesh Gaonkar to step in and rush to the aid of the struggling person with the help of a rescue tube. At the same beach, a Russian man, who was assisting watersports operators with relocating a jetski, got a cut to his left leg in the process. He was administered first aid on the spot, before the watersports operator took him to a local hospital for further treatment. 

Baga beach: Two Russian tourists, a man and a woman, both in their thirties, were rescued by lifesavers after they got caught in a rip current off Baga beach. The beach also witnessed the rescue of a 33-year-old man from Ahmednagar. The person had waded into the water with a friend, but was unable to exit the water after he was caught in a rip tide. Drishti Marine lifesavers Ankur and Sandesh Paryekar rushed to his rescue with a rescue board and a jetski, respectively and brought him ashore. 

Calangute beach: The popular North Goa beach witnessed the rescue of a 32-year-old person from Madhya Pradesh, who was saved from drowning by lifesaver Rohit Hirnayak. The lifesaver conducted the mission with the help of a rescue board. An eight-year-old from Hubli, in Karnataka, was also reunited with parents by Drishti Marine lifesavers after the latter reported the child missing on the adjoining Candolim beach. The child had accidentally strayed onto the adjoining Calangute beach, after separating from parents. 

Candolim Beach: Two children, aged five and 11 years, from Chhattisgarh, were reunited with their parents at Candolim beach, after they went missing. The children, who had accidentally separated from their parents, were found wandering on the beach by themselves by lifesaver Sunil Matondkar. The two children were handed over to the parents after completing formal identification formalities. 

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Kolkata, Goa beachgoers narrowly escape drowning after Disregarding Lifesavers’ Cautions; Both Rescued

Panaji, November 2024:  A 31-year-old woman from Kolkata and a 20-year-old Goan beachgoer narrowly escaped drowning off Agonda and Velsao beaches, respectively, after disregarding warnings from Drishti Marine lifesavers about the dangers of swimming in rip current-infested waters. Both were rescued by alert lifesavers over the weekend, which also saw one triple rescue, two multiple rescues, two single rescues and one person being administered with first-aid along Goa’s coastline.

Agonda: A group of four tourists from Kolkata, seated near a demarcated no-swim zone, was warned by Drishti Marine lifesavers not to enter the water. Ignoring the warnings, three ventured in and were swept away by rip currents. A 31-year-old woman, who began to drown, was rescued by lifesaver Ratnakar Velip using a rescue tube, while her two companions managed to return to shore unaided.

Velsao: A 20-year-old man from Vasco ignored lifesavers’ warnings and entered a no-swim zone, where he was caught in a rip current. Lifesaver Kashappa Madar swiftly rescued him using a rescue tube.

Baga: Four British tourists got caught in a rip current and were swept 50 metres away from the shore while swimming. Lifesaver Saurav Kumar plunged into the water and managed to get ahold of the two of them. But with the current too strong to navigate a surfboard, lifesaver Sandesh Paryekar too joined the rescue operation with a jetski and extracted the duo.  Another lifesaver, Fondu Gawas, used a rescue tube to rescue one more British national from the group, while the fourth managed to swim to the shore by himself.

Calangute: A group of six visitors from Bengaluru was swept 35 metres offshore while swimming. Lifesavers Kartik Naik saved three individuals using a rescue tube, Umesh Madikar saved two victims with a jet ski and Nakul Usapkar managed to save one using a rescue tube. 

Calangute: Drishti Marine lifesavers also managed to orchestrate a triple rescue of three Pune residents. Lifesaver Rohit Hiranayak brought two victims to shore using a rescue board while lifesaver Rahul pulled the third person to the safety of the shore. 

Colva: Patrolling Drishti Marine lifesavers found an unidentified male, aged between 25 and 30 years, suffering from respiratory issues about a hundred metres beyond the shoreline. After clearing his airway and setting an umbrella up to provide him with shade, the lifesavers informed the police and emergency health services and handed him over to medical personnel who arrived on the spot with an ambulance.

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Passion for Football Almost Turns Fatal for Tourist at Cavelossim beach; Four Others Rescued off Goa Coast

Incident Report

Panaji, November 2024 – Playing football by the beach almost turned fatal for a tourist from Kolkata, who was among the five persons rescued from drowning off Goa’s beaches by Drishti Marine lifesavers over the last weekend.

Cavelossim beach: A 23-year-old man from West Bengal was playing football with a friend at Cavelossim beach, when the ball accidentally landed in deep water. When the person waded into the water to retrieve the ball, he started to drown. Lifesaver Prasad Velip who was on patrol nearby, immediately sprang into action, using a surfboard to reach the victim and bring him back to shore.

Morjim beach: A 51-year-old woman from Russia was saved from drowning off Morjim beach, after she could not navigate the strong sea current to reach back to the safety of the shore. Her calls for help caught the attention of lifesavers Vikas Chawan and Anand Parab, who used a surfboard and a jetski to reach the woman and bring her safely ashore.

Agonda beach: A husband’s desperate cries to save his drowning wife, led to the rescue of a 33-year-old woman from Hyderabad, who was caught in a strong current off Agonda beach. The couple were swimming in the water when they encountered a strong current, which the woman was unable to cope with. Her husband’s cries for help were heard by lifesaver Ratnakar Velip who quickly responded, entering the water with a rescue tube and bringing the woman safely back to shore.

Baga beach: A couple in their late 20s from Rajasthan were saved from drowning, after a powerful current pulled them apart and deeper into the waters off Baga beach. In a rapid response, lifesavers Kamlesh Tikkam, Ankur Choudhary and Sujan Nagvekar who were patrolling nearby, rushed to the rescue, armed with surfboards and rescue tubes, enduring the relentless current to reach the struggling couple and brought them ashore.

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Pregnant Russian Tourist, Surfers, among 15 Rescued from Drowning by Drishti Marine lifesavers Over Weekend

INCIDENT REPORT 

Panaji, November 2024 – A pregnant Russian woman was rescued from drowning off Benaulim beach, even as four other foreign nationals were saved from drowning by Drishti Marine lifesavers off the state’s coastline over the weekend. 

The weekend witnessed four double rescues and seven single rescues, even as lifesavers managed to locate two missing children and handed them over to their kin in North Goa. 

Benaulim: A 36-year-old pregnant Russian woman found herself in a dangerous situation while swimming 50 metres off the coast. Realising she couldn't handle the strong waves, she called for help. Lifesaver Devidas rushed over and safely brought her ashore using a rescue board.

Sinquerim: A Russian couple swimming off Sinquerim beach was caught in a dangerous rip current. The husband managed to swim to shore, while lifesaver Sandesh Malkar used his surfboard to bring the 50-year-old woman who was caught up in the currents, safely to shore.

Candolim: Captain Divakar Desai and lifesaver Nakul Usapkar rescued a 72-year-old Russian man dragged 150 metres into the sea by a rip current, using a rescue board. The duo also saved a Russian woman from the same beach, employing a rescue board and jetski. After being brought ashore, she was administered oxygen and was taken for a medical check-up. Additionally, lifesavers rescued a 19-year-old man from Karnataka who panicked while swimming at Candolim beach with four others from his group, preventing him from drowning.

Arambol: At Arambol Beach, two men from Mumbai, aged 25 and 28, were surfing when they were caught in a rip current and began to struggle in the waters. Lifesavers Navnath Ghatwal, Vaibhav Chandekar, and Aana Melekar quickly responded, using surfboards and a rescue tube to bring the victims safely to shore.

Morjim: At Morjim beach, a 23-year-old man from Russia and a 70-year-old woman from Jaipur were rescued from drowning after they were unable to swim back to the shore, forcing lifesavers Dattaram Chawan and Anand Parab to use a surfboard and jetski to quickly rescue them both.

Calangute: A 35-year-old man from Gujarat, swimming with friends, began drowning off the beach. Lifesavers Sourabh Patil and Sujal Dhuri quickly noticed his distress and rescued him using a surfboard and a rescue tube.

Dudhsagar Waterfalls: At Dudhsagar waterfalls, a father sitting with his three-year-old daughter on a rock slipped, causing the child to fall into the fast-moving waters. Without a life jacket, she began sinking. Lifesaver Babu Gavli dove in with a rescue tube, reaching her in time and pulling her to safety. 

Agonda: At Agonda beach, a 28-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman from Hyderabad were caught in a rip current and began to drown. Lifesavers Datta Velip and Pralhad Velip quickly responded, using a rescue board and tube to bring both safely to shore.

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Fifty-one Rescued, One Suicide Attempt Averted Along Goa Coast During Long Diwali Weekend: Drishti Marine

~ Drishti Marine lifesavers averted a suicide attempt by a 17-year-old boy from Uttar Pradesh at Patnem beach.

~ Drishti Marine lifesavers rescued fifty one people from drowning, which included three multiple rescues, two triple rescues and eight double rescues.

Panaji, November 4, 2024: Over 50 persons were rescued from drowning off Goa’s beaches over the extended Diwali weekend, even as Drishti Marine’s lifesavers successfully intervened in a suicide attempt at Patnem beach, managing to rescue a teenager from Uttar Pradesh (UP) who appeared to be bent on taking his own life. 

Patnem: At Patnem beach, the 17-year-old UP resident kept wading into the deeper waters, despite cautions from his panicked family members and on-duty lifesavers. After multiple attempts by the family to call him back to shore failed, lifesavers Nagraj Girap and Sameer Kankonkar rushed in and brought him on shore with the help of a surfboard and a jet ski, averting a tragedy. 

Majorda: A water sports operator in distress was rescued by lifesavers off Majorda beach, after his boat capsized due to a sudden change in the weather and wind conditions, throwing him overboard. Lifesaver Mayur Lahane rescued him with the help of a jetski.

Among the 51 persons rescued by Drishti Marine lifesavers over the extended weekend, which saw hundreds of thousands of tourists flock to the state’s beaches, 15 persons were saved from drowning in single rescue operations, while eight double rescues, two triple rescues and three multiple (more than three lives saved) rescues were also reported during the busy period. 

Baga: Five women were rescued off Baga beach in a multiple rescue, after they were unable to extricate themselves from a rip current. They were saved by lifesavers Saurabh Kumar, Fondu Gawas, Buddaji and Sainath Gawas using a rescue boat and rescue tube. At the same beach, five friends from Ahmedabad ventured as much as 30 metres into the water, before they found returning on the shore a difficult task.  A patrolling lifesaver, Sushant, noticed the group in distress. He rushed in and brought a 21-year-old man, struggling to deal with the water, to the shore with a rescue tube, before he was joined by lifesavers Suraj, Siddesh and Fondu Gawas, who brought the rest ashore to safety. The 21-year-old, who was facing breathing difficulties, was administered oxygen after his airway was cleared. He was dispatched to the Candolim Health Centre by a Drishti Marine vehicle for treatment, before being taken to the Asilo hospital Mapusa, where is reported to be recovering. 

Calangute: Calangute beach reported two triple rescues off the coast, one of which involved the rescue of three persons from Karnataka between the ages of 20 to 27 years by lifesaver Nakul Usapkar. In another incident reported on the same beach, lifesavers Vinod Salelkar, Sanjay Yadav and Umesh Madhaikar rescued three men from Sangli in Maharashtra, who had started drowning while on a swim together. The beach was witness to the rescue of four men from Nagpur and Delhi, aged between 25 to 30 years, after they were caught in a rip current, forcing lifesavers Nakul Usapkar,  Sunil Matonkar and Umesh Madaikar to rescue them with the help of a surfboard,  rescue tube and jet ski.  

In addition to conducting 51 rescues over the Diwali weekend, four missing children were also traced on Baga and Calangute beaches by lifesavers and handed over to their parents after completing identification and handover formalities. 

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Goa Lifesavers Rescue Four Visually-Impaired Tourists From Karnataka From Drowning off Baga Beach

Panaji, October 25, 2024: In a swift rescue operation, four visually-impaired tourists from Karnataka were saved from drowning by Drishti Marine lifesavers off Baga Beach in North Goa, on Friday evening. 

Aged between 22 to 43, the persons – three men and one woman – were seated near the shoreline at Baga beach, when rising water levels unexpectedly pulled them into the sea. After the visually-impaired persons could not find their balance on an uneven patch of the sea bed, they struggled to stay afloat and started drowning. 

Spotting them in duress, lifesavers Vinod Gaonkar, Fondu Gawas and Suryakant Paryekar immediately rushed to rescue them with surfboards and rescue tubes. All four persons were brought ashore to safety. 

It may be recalled that several beaches in Goa, including the Baga beach stretch, had recently witnessed unusually high tidal movement, with sea water inundating several beach shacks along the coastline.

Amid 13 Rescues, Drishti Marine Lifesavers Thwart Two Thefts, Aid French Woman Attacked by Cow at Palolem Beach

Panaji, October 21, 2024: In between saving 13 lives from drowning off Goa’s coastline over the weekend, vigilant Drishti Marine lifesavers doubled up to thwart two attempted thefts at Calangute beach, managing to retrieve the stolen articles and also provided first aid to a French woman who was attacked by a cow at Palolem beach. 

At Calangute beach, lifesaver Saurabh Patil spotted a man attempting to steal a bag from two Russian tourists swimming nearby. He swiftly intervened, retrieved the bag and handed the suspect over to the police, who arrived shortly after.

In another incident, as two tourists from Manipur were enjoying a swim, a thief stole their phones and cash from their bags and tried to run away. He was spotted by a Drishti Marine lifesaver who retrieved the stolen articles, while also catching hold of the suspect. The suspect was handed over to the police, who arrived at the spot. 

A triple rescue was reported at Calangute beach involving a 22-year-old man from Maharashtra and two local men, aged 18 and 21, who found themselves in a rip current while swimming and began to drown. Lifesavers Kartik Naik, Rohit Hirnaik and Hrutuj Rawool swiftly intervened, using a surfboard and rescue tube to bring all three ashore to safety.

The weekend also witnessed 10 single rescues, including the rescue of a 50-year-old Russian national at Candolim beach, who found himself caught in a rip current. He was rescued by lifesaver Sanjay Yadav with the help of a rescue tube. At the same beach, a 30-year-old man from Bhopal lost his balance due to the uneven nature of the seabed and started drowning. He was rescued and brought to shore by lifesaver Manish Bhengra using a rescue tube. A 51-year-old Russian woman, trapped in a rip current, was rescued off Morjim beach by lifesaver Dyaneshwar Mahale with the help of Anand Parab, who used a jetski and a surfboard to bring her ashore. 

Drishti Marine lifesavers rescued two individuals at Baga beach. A 27-year-old tourist from Maharashtra was in distress after his jetski overturned in rough waves; lifesavers Vinod Gaonkar, Sandesh Paryekar, and Suraj Nimbalkar used their jetski to bring him ashore. Another rescue involved a 35-year-old man from Hyderabad caught in a rip current.

Three persons were rescued off Calangute beach over the weekend, one of whom was a 35-year-old intoxicated man from Karnataka. 

Drishti Marine lifesavers came to the aid of a 56-year-old French woman, who was attacked by a cow at Palolem beach. She was unable to move on account of her injuries, because of which she was transferred to the rescue vehicle with the help of a spine-board and dispatched to  the Canacona Health Centre for medical attention. 

At Arambol beach, a 24-year-old man from Karnataka suffered breathing difficulties after returning to shore from a kayak ride. His kayak had overturned in the sea, but he appeared to develop breathing issues after he reached ashore. Drishti Marine lifesavers provided oxygen and put him in recovery position, advising further medical attention.

A man from Delhi walking on Anjuna beach cut his right toe on broken glass. After administering first aid, Drishti Marine lifesavers placed him on a spine board and sent him to a doctor by taxi.

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