Team Herald
CALANGUTE: Gearing up for the increased tourist footfalls over the upcoming festive week, Drishti Marine has scaled up its life-saving operations in the coastal areas, including introducing midnight shifts to cater to the expected surge of visitors, said a statement here on Wednesday.
“We anticipate the next few days to be extremely busy across the coast, especially on beach stretches which witness high footfalls. We have initiated deployment of additional lifesavers across beaches, especially at the popular beaches on the Sinquerim – Baga stretch, Calangute, and other beaches,” said Navin Awasthi, Operations Head, Drishti Marine. Drishti has expanded its manpower presence from 18 to 24 lifesavers along the busy beach areas of Baga, Miramar, Calangute, and Candolim which witness peak tourist activity. Women lifesavers are also being deployed, keeping in mind the high number of female tourists on the shore, said Awasthi. “The two issues we prepare ourselves for on Christmas and New Year are crowd management and attending to individuals who are intoxicated,” said Santano Fernandes, a Drishti lifesaver, who appeals to beach visitors to stay alert and listen to the lifeguards’ announcements. They also advice people under the influence of alcohol not to venture into the water, and to refrain from climbing on slippery rocks.
