Panaji: The weekend rush on Goa’s beaches had the personnel of lifesaving agencies conducting some unconventional jobs, like helping a French woman who was charged by a cow, catching thieves, and assisting a Delhi-based tourist who had his leg cut by broken glass in the sand.
The spokesperson of Drishti Marine, the agency onboarded by the Goa government for lifeguarding on the state’s beaches, said on Monday that 13 different rescues were carried out across the state during the last weekend.
In addition, the spokesperson said that the lifeguards helped a 56-year-old French woman who was attacked by a cow at Palolem Beach in South Goa.
“She was unable to move due to 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,” he said.
In yet another incident, he said, a man from Delhi walking on Anjuna Beach in North Goa 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,” he said.
Goa’s beaches were flooded with tourists during the weekend, with the tourist season starting and beach shacks opening up for customers.
The spokesperson said that the lifeguards also thwarted two attempted thefts at Calangute Beach (North Goa) and managed to retrieve the stolen articles.
He said that at Calangute Beach, a lifeguard 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,” he added.
“In another incident, as two tourists from Manipur were enjoying a swim at Calangute Beach, 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,” he said.
The spokesperson said that on the same beach, the lifeguards conducted a triple rescue 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.
“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,” the spokesperson said.
He added that 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 lifeguards.
In another rescue operation, a 51-year-old Russian woman, trapped in a rip current, was rescued off Morjim Beach in North Goa by a lifeguard and another colleague, who used a jet ski and a surfboard to bring her ashore, he said.
The spokesperson said Drishti Marine lifesavers rescued two individuals at Baga Beach. “A 27-year-old tourist from Maharashtra was in distress after his jet ski overturned in rough waves; the lifeguards used their jet ski to bring him ashore. Another rescue involved a 35-year-old man from Hyderabad caught in a rip current on the same beach,” he added.
At Calangute Beach, three persons were rescued, one of whom was a 35-year-old intoxicated man from Karnataka, the spokesperson said.
