MARGAO: Even as the State government is spending crores of rupees on tourism junkets and roadshows overseas to promote Goa as a ‘safe destination’, foreign tourists continue to land in dangerous situations, ending up wounded or worse. On Thursday, a 79-year-old British tourist, Yvonne Morrish, sustained injuries after being gored by a bull while walking on Benaulim beach.
Staying alone in a hotel in Benaulim since January 2, she had been taking daily walks on the beach, said shack workers.
According to the police, a dog chasing a bull on the beach caused a commotion. Unaware of the situation, Morrish turned around to see what happened, and the bull, which had become agitated during the chase, gored her in the thigh with its horn. The impact caused her to fall down, resulting in injuries to her head and leg. Locals and others who witnessed the incident called for an ambulance, and they carried Morrish from the beach to the main road on a stretcher. She was taken to the South Goa District Hospital.
Head Constable Sandesh Gadker of Colva Police, who visited Benaulim beach and later recorded Morrish’s statement at the hospital, said that the British national was scheduled to depart on February 7.
It is reported that the bull also attempted to attack a lifeguard who intervened to rescue the tourist. The police are working to identify the owner of the bull, who is presumed to have gotten loose and reached Benaulim beach. Although Morrish’s statement has been recorded, no case has been registered. Police said that Morrish was shifted to a private hospital in Margao later in the evening.
In November 2022, a German tourist walking on Betalbatim beach lost five fingers when a motorised paraglider accidentally flew too low, crashing into the 84-year-old man and slicing off his fingers. More recently, a 46-year-old British tourist was found dead in Agonda, with the cause of her death yet to be ascertained. The beach destinations of South Goa used to be considered relatively safer for international tourists than the busier North district.
