15 rescued from waters while 6 children who were reported missing, reunited with their family along the coast 

Goa Khabar: A string of incidents has occurred on the coastline of Goa over the past four days. 15 individuals were rescued and 6 children who were reported missing were reunited with their parents.  

Baga, one of the busiest beaches on the coast, witnessed the most number of incidents. 8 rescues were carried out at Baga beach. Calangute witnessed 3 rescues on its beach. Vagator reported 3 rescues and Galgibag river witnessed a single rescue. Aside from the multiple and double rescues the Drishti lifesavers were alerted to 6 missing children, each of whom was found and handed over to their respective parents, while also responding to first aid emergencies. 

At Baga, Drishti lifesavers Akshay, Joshi, Babaji, Ratish, and Suryakant performed multiple rescues involving 4 individuals – three males and one female – between the ages of 11 to 25 years hailing from Gujarat. The individuals were reportedly in shallow waters when one of them decided to venture further deep and the rest followed together. The four individuals found themselves in deep waters which restricted their movement and led the group to panic. The Drishti lifesavers communicated for reinforcements and rushed to their rescue an brought the individuals back to shore.  In another incident, the Drishti lifesavers Ritish and Akshay using a rescue board and rescue tube performed a double rescue of two males aged 24 and 28 years old from Karnataka respectively. Two single rescue operations were undertaken on Baga beach as well. A 26-year-old male from Gujarat out for a swim discovered a sudden change in the depth of the water. As a result, he lost his bearings and struggled to swim. Atul, a Drishti lifesaver, spotted the male struggling to swim and rushed to his aid. The male was brought back to shore and given medical attention. Another Karnataka resident with a similar description was rescued by Narayan and Dilkush, Drishti lifesavers stationed on Baga’s shore. 

Calangute is also notable for large crowds descending on its shores. Multiple rescues involving 3 residents from Maharashtra aged between 19 and 40 years old were performed by Drishti lifesavers Sonu, Nilesh, Ishwar, and Sangharsh. The three individuals were rescued by a rescue tube and rescue board.  

A Goan family with two children, ages four and seven, were out in the water at Vagator, when the two children slipped and fell into the water, causing the family to panic. The parents reached below to save their children, but due to the depth of the water and the weight of the children, the parents struggled to swim. When the Drishti lifesavers Rajesh and Harshad noticed the sudden struggle in the waters, they rushed to the family’s aid and brought them back to shore. 

A single rescue was conducted at Vagator when a 12-year-old boy from Goa became entangled in a strong current in the waters, preventing him from swimming back to shore. Harshad, the Drishti lifesaver on duty, brought the individual back to safety after a quick rescue operation with a rescue tube and rescue board.

At Galgibag river in South Goa, A 25-year-old man found himself in a difficult situation. Despite numerous warnings to avoid venturing into the deeper sections of the river due to the soft and sinking sand beneath the surface of the water, the individual ventured into the river and found his leg stuck below and gradually sinking. Unable to move, the person began to struggle to swim. Rajesh, a Drishti lifesaver, jumped into the river and pulled him out with the help of a rescue board.

Meanwhile, there were several incidents involving missing children who were reunited with their family at Calangute, Baga, Baina, Uttorda, Colva. The youngest being a 3-year-old girl and the oldest a 10-year-old boy.

First Aid was administered to a 17-year-old girl from Karnataka at Colva beach. The girl complained about respiratory issues. To regulate her oxygen levels, the 17-year-old was immediately connected to an oxygen cylinder. A few minutes later the girl’s breathing returned to normal.