A trip to pluck lotus flowers at Raitollem lake in Curtorim turned tragic as a 38-year-old resident of Belagavi met a fatal end on Tuesday.
The unfortunate incident at Raitollem lake unfolded when Shankar Vader entered the water to gather lotus flowers. Simultaneously, two other individuals were also in the vicinity. An eyewitness recounted, “Initially plucking lotus near the banks, he gradually moved towards the centre. The other two men witnessed his distress signals and rushed to seek help, but tragically, he had already drowned.”
The body of the deceased was recovered later by the fire and emergency services and handed over to the police on Tuesday evening.
PI Arun Desai, in charge of the Maina-Curtorim police station, confirmed the victim’s activity of lotus flower plucking before the unfortunate incident occurred.
The Maina-Curtorim police are also investigating another drowning case, in the Zuari River at Loutolim wherein the police were alerted to the discovery of a decomposed body. The victim, an unidentified male aged between 40 to 50 years, was found wearing a dark-coloured half-sleeved T-shirt and military-print pants. The body, in an advanced state of decomposition, exhibited signs of damage from aquatic animals.
The bodies have been transported to the South Goa District Hospital mortuary for preservation police have registered cases of unnatural death under Section 174 of the CrPC.
