TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: She would have perhaps returned home with the sweet memories of her fun-filled stay in the State as she was all set to return to Russia by a Charter late tonight.
But, destiny proved otherwise. Deceased Elana was expected to check out of the starred resort at Benaulim on Tuesday night to fly back to Russia in the wee hours of Wednesday after her 10-day stay. She and her room partner Kiera had packed their bags and were apparently bracing up to fly home tonight before the water sports boat tragedy snuffed out Elna’s life early Tuesday morning. Both deceased Elana and partner Kierra along with two other Russian tourists were picked up by a coach early Tuesday morning after they had an early morning breakfast before they landed at Mobor to take a water sports ride on the last day of their stay in Goa.
Kiera, who saw her partner struggling under the capsized boat after the incident, could not believe that her friend has perished in the incident. She was seen pleading with Hospicio authorities for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) on Elana without realisation for a moment that her friend had breathed her last along with two women already brought dead in Hospicio’s casualty.
Kierra faced another problem at the Hospicio casualty. In fact, she found herself completely lost in the Hospicio casualty as she could not communicate with the doctors and nurses in English. Hospicio staff could only know that she hails from Russia and it was only after Kierra produced a mutilated visiting card of the starred resort in Benaulim, a journalist called up the resort to inform the receptionist of the tragedy that struck its customers.
The owner of the Benaulim resort recalled that both Elana and Kierra were friendly and kind hearted persons, who had offered him chocolates after they had checked in his hotel nine days ago. In fact, gloom has descended at the starred resort which plays host to a number of Russian tourists. “When we opened the room this evening, we found that the deceased and her room partner had packed their bags to leave home tonight. They had done a lot of shopping during their stay”, the owner said.
It is learnt that four Russians each from the resort at Benaulim and Betalbatim were part of the boat ride to Cananguinim. The remaining three occupants of the ill-fated water sports boat were putting up at another resort at Benaulim.
