Team Herald
PANJIM: Against the backdrop of rising cases of drowning, Drishti Marine will place 50 new flags along the coast in North and South Goa to alert visitors about the location of no-swim zones.
The new flags bear the message ‘No Swimming Zone’ in English and Hindi on both the sides along with the universally recognized symbol associated with the message. “Measuring 25×25 inches, the flag is bright red in colour indicating that it’s a no-swim area. The new flags have been erected in Baga, Ashvem, Morjim, Mandrem and Arambol. The flags are in the process of being erected at other beaches across Goa in the coming days,” a Drishti spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, the Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) personnel have been deployed along the beaches to ensure that visitors do not breach instructions of the lifeguards and prevent any possible untoward incident. The spokesperson said that earlier on Wednesday, an alert night IRB police constable Chari was quick to recognise and avert an incident at Candolim involving an Indian tourist who was in an inebriated state.
“If it wasn’t for the quick thinking of the constable, the incident may not have ended well. The tourist hailing from Nagpur, who was under the influence of alcohol, was sleeping on the beach. As the water levels rose, he began floating towards a potentially dangerous area with rip currents. Sensing that the man was in danger, Constable Chari moved the tourist away with the help of a Russian tourist. The lifeguard who was patrolling another part of the beach rushed to the spot and assisted in placing the victim in the recovery position and administered first aid and oxygen. The 108 ambulance was called for and the victim was shifted to the ambulance,” he said.
Drishti, providing lifeguard service on the beaches, has identified 18 hot-spot areas along the coast which are potentially dangerous for swimming. These include the rocky areas of Anjuna, Vagator, Baga and Sinquerim area which are completely out of bounds. The riverside areas in Mobor and Morjim as well as the Baga creek are considered potentially unsafe areas.
