Drishti Marine lifesavers administered first aid in connection with five instances of jellyfish stings along various beaches in South Goa, even as 24 persons were rescued from drowning during the Christmas weekend, which annually witnesses a surge across Goa’s beaches.
Mandrem beach: A 33-year-old male tourist from Hyderabad was rescued after he faced difficulty while swimming with a group of friends. Drishti Marine lifesaver Suraj Keluskar spotted his distress and brought him ashore using a rescue board, with help from lifesaver Sudhir Parab.
Ashwem beach: Two male tourists from Punjab, aged 47 and 15 years, swimming with friends, found themselves 100 mts from the shore. Three Drishti Marine lifesavers, spotting their plight, jointly carried out the rescue operation.
Morjim beach: Four tourists, including men and women from Karnataka, faced difficulty swimming about 10 metres offshore. Lifesaver Duttaram Chavan used a rescue board, assisted by Yogesh Gadekar on a jet ski, to safely rescue all four. In another incident, a man from Hyderabad was caught in a rip current and struggled to extricate himself, before a three-lifesaver team carried out the rescue. At the same beach, a missing four-year-old boy from Maharashtra was traced and reunited with his family.
Anjuna beach: A 43-year-old man from Mumbai was hit by a strong wave while swimming, twisting his right leg. Lifesaver Saish Shirodkar brought the victim to the tower, where Captain Umesh Govekar and Saish Shirodkar administered first aid.
Baga beach: Five Indian tourists and one woman from Kazakhstan were rescued after being pulled into unsafe waters, with multiple lifesavers and a jet ski team coordinating to bring all six ashore. In another incident, two young male tourists from Maharashtra, were rescued after entering unsafe water conditions. In a separate rescue at the same beach, a 30-year-old man from Pune was assisted after experiencing difficulty while swimming, with lifesavers Fondu Gawas and Suryakant Paryekar using rescue tubes to bring him safely to shore. An 11-year-old girl from Hyderabad who went missing at the beach was later traced by lifesavers and reunited with her family.
Calangute beach: A 21-year-old male tourist from Bengaluru was rescued after facing difficulty while swimming. Lifesaver Subham Mukhiya brought the victim ashore using a rescue board. At the same beach, a seven-year-old girl from Hyderabad went missing, leading on duty Drishti Marine lifesavers to launch a search operation. The girl was eventually traced near a water sports area by lifesaver Kartik Naik.
Utorda beach: A 50-year-old man from Mumbai lost his bodyboard approximately 50 metres offshore and was observed struggling. Lifesaver Pramod Salgaonkar rescued the victim using a rescue tube.
Baina beach: An 11-year-old girl from Nashik sustained a jellyfish sting on her leg. Lifesaver Shivam Bind assisted her to the tower, where Captain Raju Chalwadi provided her with first aid. She was later handed over to her family.
Bogmalo beach: A 15-year-old boy from Maharashtra approached on duty lifesavers with severe leg pain due to a jellyfish sting. He was directed to the tower, where first aid was administered by lifesaver Anand Madar.
Majorda beach: A 62-year-old Russian tourist exhausted himself after he swam 80 mts offshore and hailed lifesavers for help. Three lifesavers jointly rescued and brought the victim ashore.
Colva beach: An eight-year-old boy from Karnataka sustained a jellyfish sting on his hand while swimming. Lifesavers administered first aid and handed him over to his family. At the same beach, a 17-year-old boy from Karnataka was treated for a jellyfish sting injury on his hand. First aid was administered to the boy, and he was released to his family once stable.
Benaulim beach: Two minor boys from Maharashtra were caught in a rip current while swimming. After noticing their plight, lifesaver Sahil Tikkam used a rescue tube to safely bring both children to shore.
Palolem beach: A 22-year-old Goan woman suffered a jellyfish sting while swimming and was given first aid by lifesavers before being handed over to her family once stable. A 32-year-old man from Hyderabad capsized about 500 metres offshore while kayaking and was promptly rescued by a jet ski team after the incident was spotted from a lifesaver tower. At Palolem beach, two male tourists in their 20s slipped on rocks and injured their leg and hand, with lifesavers Sameer Kankonkar and Vasant Kamble administering first aid at the Drishti Marine lifesaver tower.
Patnem beach: A 26-year-old tourist from Andhra Pradesh was dragged by a rip current while swimming with friends. Lifesaver Manoj Bhat responded with a rescue tube and safely brought the victim to shore.
