PANAJI: A 31-year-old woman from Kolkata and a 20-year-old Goan beachgoer narrowly escaped drowning off Agonda and Velsao beaches, respectively, as they ignored the warning issued against swimming in rip current-infested waters.
According to the information provided by Drishti Lifesavers, a group of four tourists from Kolkata, seated near a demarcated no-swim zone at Agonda beach, were warned by Drishti Marine Lifesavers not to enter the water. Ignoring the warnings, three ventured in and were swept away by rip currents.
The woman, who began to drown, was rescued by a lifesaver using a rescue tube, while her two companions managed to return to shore unaided.
At Velsao Beach, a 20-year-old man from Vasco ignored lifesavers’ warnings and entered a no-swim zone, where he was caught in a rip current. He was later rescued.
At Baga, four British tourists got caught in a rip current and were swept 50 metres away from the shore while swimming. Lifesaver plunged into the water and managed to get ahold of the two of them. But with the current too strong to navigate a surfboard, a rescue operation with a jetski was undertaken.
A group of six visitors from Bengaluru were swept 35 metres offshore while swimming in Calangute. All were rescued safely.
Drishti Marine lifesavers also managed to orchestrate a triple rescue of three Pune residents.
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 at Colva. 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.
