In a series of daring rescue operations over the weekend, Goa's picturesque beaches became the backdrop for several dramatic incidents, including the successful retrieval of three international tourists and the heartwarming reunification of two missing minors with their parents.
Mandrem Beach played host to three separate rescue missions involving foreign tourists. A 24-year-old Russian woman found herself engulfed in rough waves, prompting the immediate response of lifeguards Karan Tandel and Hiren Keluskar. Employing a rescue board and a jet ski, they skillfully brought the distressed tourist safely ashore. Similarly, a 35-year-old English woman faced a similar predicament at Mandrem, but thanks to the swift action of lifeguard Vitorino Desouza, she was rescued and brought back to safety. In a separate incident, a 33-year-old man from Belarus was rescued by lifesaver Jatin Girap using a surfboard, averting a potential tragedy caused by a rough rip current.
Other beach locations also witnessed heroic rescues. At Galgibaga beach, a 28-year-old woman from Bengaluru was rescued by lifeguard Sudhir Ankolekar, who utilized a rescue tube when a change in water level induced panic. Meanwhile, at Baga beach, a 25-year-old man from Pune was saved from the clutches of a rip current by the timely intervention of lifeguards Sushant Kamble and Laxman Usapkar.
The Bambolim beach rescue was particularly challenging, involving the retrieval of a 69-year-old man who suffered a spinal injury from powerful waves. The victim, unconscious at the time of rescue, regained consciousness soon after and received immediate CPR from lifeguards. Following stabilization, he was transported to a nearby healthcare institute by the beach station's jeep.
In addition to the international tourists, two missing children were successfully located and reunited with their parents. Lifeguards at Baga and Colva beaches located a five-year-old girl from Rajasthan and a seven-year-old child from Goa, handing them over to their grateful parents.