TEAM HERALD
CANACONA/MARGAO: A day-long excursion for a group of 11 Russian tourists ended in a tragedy when three women drowned while eight others, including two children, were rescued after their boat capsized at an isolated beach cove at Canaguinim on Tuesday morning.
According to sources, the Russian tourists consisting of two children, seven women and two men started from Mobor-Cavelossim in one of the four fibre boats on Tuesday morning for a day-long outing at Zorir, a small beach cove below the Canaguinim plateau.
The two boatmen reportedly failed to gauge the strong winds and rough waves, as they tried to steer the boat towards the shore.
The boat suddenly capsized near the shore, throwing everyone into the rough waves continuously pounding the coast. According to the police sources all the passengers were
Russians nationals and the names of deceased were said to be Nikolaeva Tatatino 46 years, Pulaspova Rina 58 years and Elena Kuhikova 47 years.
Utter chaos prevailed as the Russian tourists struggled to reach to safety. The two men and four women managed to swim to safety and went about to rescue the others stranded in the sea. They managed to rescue the children and pull them ashore.
Three women were, however pulled into the sea by the strong waves, making it difficult to reach out to them.
The two men handling the boat made initial efforts to help the stranded tourists and then reportedly fled from the area after they learnt that the three women were later pulled out from the sea in an unconscious state.
Law enforcement agencies were alerted of the incident and life guards, fire service personnel and policemen rushed to the site. Speedboats were also pressed into service.
Residents from Canaguinim, Betul and Naqueri rushed to the spot through the thick vegetation, while youth from as far as Agonda also sailed through the rough sea and reached the spot to offer all possible help.
As the beach cove has no proper access from the nearest road on the Canaguinim plateau, pedestrians had to scale through a narrow path amidst thick and thorny vegetations.
“The three unconscious women were taken along this same path, losing precious time to rush to the hospital,” sources told Herald.
Two of the three women rescued were taken by a 108 ambulance, while the third woman who reportedly showed signs of life was shifted in the lifeguard jeep itself.
Lifeguard personnel and EMRI medics initially tried to revive them on the beach itself and later shifted them along the Canaguinim plateau, from where they were shifted to the Hospicio hospital at Margao.
Three other fibre boats carrying more tourists were seen anchored in the sea while rescue operations were underway, as the tourists were horrified to helplessly witness the tragedy take place before their very eyes.
It was, however, unclear whether the 11 Russian tourists were provided with life jackets or were wearing them at the time of mishap, as a few life jackets were later seen on the shore.
An offence of culpable homicide not amounting to murder has been registered against four accused persons, including boat owner Tevisa Aguiar, contractor Nobby Barretto, tour operator John and master of the boat Jagbandu Naik.
Parulekar orders probe, boat licence suspension
PORVORIM: Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar has ordered the suspension of the boat licence and an inquiry into the boat tragedy involving the deaths of three Russian female tourists at Canaguinim beach on Tuesday.
“I have already directed my department to conduct an inquiry into the incident and to suspend the licence of the boat operator,” said Parulekar, while speaking to Herald.
“I have been informed that the Russian tourists were not wearing life jackets at the time of the incident and it was sheer negligence of the boat operator for not ensuring that they wore life jackets before embarking on their journey.”
“The fitness certificate of the boat is issued by the Captain of Ports and only then is the granted by the tourist department to operate water sports activities. This tragic incident occurred mainly because rules and regulations were not followed by the water sports operators,” Parulekar added.
