Beach tourism season opens with 5 drowning deaths and 231 rescues

Panaji: In back-to-back drowning incidents off beaches in North Goa in less than a month, five people, two of them foreigners, tragically lost their lives. The number of fatalities could have been much higher—231 tourists were rescued by lifeguards in the past month alone.
The string of recent drowning deaths coincides with the ongoing month-long strike by around 150 lifeguards from Drishti Lifesaving.The agency is now operating on a reduced staff strength of 450 lifeguards.
However, the lifeguarding agency claimed that they had adequate manpower deployed at the beaches — Calangute, Ashvem and Morjim — where the drowning deaths occured, and attributes them to the recent cyclone that has left the sea rough.
“Due to the cyclone, the sea has been disturbed. An unprecedentedly vigorous monsoon and the ensuing flood added to the problem. We are also witnessing strong rip currents in areas which were earlier considered safe for swimming,” said Ravi Shanker, chief executive officer at Drishti Lifesaving.
Goa has seen a 70% increase in rescues this year, which in itself is an indication of the choppy sea conditions. “The spurt in casualties has been caused by a combination of the adverse weather, and public indifference to their own safety,” he said.
It is often noted that warnings by lifeguards are not taken seriously. It is not easy to keep the situation under control when footfalls are high, and beach-goers are belligerent.
Atish Fernandes, director at First Class Holidays, said lifeguards are even abused when they try to stop people from venturing into rough seas. “Their warnings are ignored. People get into the water even when red flags are raised,” he said.
These fatalities spell bad news for the beach tourism state, say tourism stakeholders, as it is reminiscent of the harrowing days from a decade ago, when Goa's beaches were unmanned and drowning deaths occurred with worrying frequency, causing the state’s beaches to almost be labelled ‘death traps’.
The situation warrants that the government takes strong measures to save lives, as well protect the image of Goa.
“Death of tourists by drowning creates national and international headlines which affect the image of the destination, and questions the safety measures it has in place. We cannot play with the lives of our visitors,” said Ralph de Souza, director at the De Souza group.
“Goa’s credibility as a premier tourist destination is at its lowest ebb. The department of tourism has to address the issue of the lifeguards strike immediately, to avoid further damage,” he said.
A tourism stakeholder said the tourism department has failed to install customary warning boards at noticeable spots on the beaches. There has to be more signboards apart from those at the beach entrances.
“There has to be stronger measures against those getting into the water despite warnings—in fact, they should be arrested,” he said.
Tourism minister Manohar Ajgaonkar said police personnel will work Drishti lifeguards. “They will keep a close eye on those tourists, who under the influence of alcohol are likely to swim,” he said.
“Drishti has been asked to train and delegate more lifeguards to man the beaches by the end of November,” he said.
Regarding the lifeguards on strike, Ajgaonkar said he is willing to mediate with them, ‘ignoring their irresponsible behaviour’, and help settle their issues with their management.
“But we cannot accept their demand to regularise them into service. They are being instigated by a certain politician. I appeal to them to not hold the government to ransom,” Ajgaonkar said.
Drishti CEO called for the government to rope in hotels and shacks to create awareness among their guests and patrons, about the risk involved in swimming in the sea after sunset, and in entering the sea in no-swimming zones and in a drunken state.