Intoxication main cause of drowning on Goan beaches

NT NETWORK
Posted on 2008-10-30
PANAJI- Surf Life Saving Goa, a group formed as a result of an agreement between the state tourism department and Drishti, signed on June 16, 2008, for beach safety management, has till date saved 28 persons from drowning in the Goan beach waters, since it started its service on October 1, 2008. Interestingly, 75 per cent of the saved persons were under the influence of alcohol.
The head of the Surf Life Saving Goa, Mr Craig Carnay, who has 25-year experience of running Surf Life Saving Australia along the Australian beaches, addressing a press conference Wednesday evening said that liquor has very large contributing effects on the drowning of people along Goan beach waters.
“The 28 people saved by the lifeguards of the Surf Life Saving Goa included individuals ranging from young children to old people,” he said, adding that besides intoxication, swimming in restricted/ dangerous sea areas and inability to swim in sea water are other main reasons which contribute to drowning cases in the state.
The Surf Life Saving Goa, with the active co-operation of the beach shack owners and water sports operators, and based on the study as regards the condition of sea on daily basis, will put up red as well as red-yellow flags on various Goan beaches. The area between two red-yellow flags will be a safe swimming zone and would be monitored by the lifeguards, while that between two red flags would be a restricted/ dangerous area.
The lifeguards will also use binoculars, cameras, walkie-talkies, radio sets and other technological gadgets to monitor the swimming areas, and would further take assistance of the 108 medical service.
The CEO and MD of Drishti, Mr Rajiv Somani informed the media that presently, altogether 50 km of Goan beach stretch has been covered by nearly 150 lifeguards - 52 lifeguards covering area from Baga to Sinquerim in North Goa.
72 lifeguards covering area from Velsao to Benaulim in South Goa, and 25 standby lifeguards - while a report on providing safety to beaches like Anjuna and Palolem will be soon presented to the tourism department.
Mr Somani said that the lifeguards will be available from sunrise to sunset, and hence the tourists as well as the locals should not venture into the sea waters after dark.
Maintaining that mean time of the six-and-a-half hour period between low and high tides is the most dangerous point and maximum drowning cases are recorded around this time, Mr Somani revealed that this particular time witnesses churning of sea water, creating uncertain strong currents. He also maintained that many drowning cases, especially those involving tourists go unrecorded in Goa, and the number of drowning cases recorded in Goa could be much more.
“The month of September is considered by many as a safe sea swimming month, as the monsoon nears its end in this month,” observed Mr Somani, “However, this is not true for strong winds with very high velocity blow over the sea along Goa in September, similar to those blowing in mid-May.”
Mr Somani also indicated that the Blue Bottle jelly fish, which arrives along the Goan coastline in small numbers for a short period, have started growing in numbers because the population of turtles, which use jelly fish as their food is fast decreasing.
Replying to a question, Mr Somani maintained that the beach safety management programme of the tourism department has got a very good response in North Goa, however, it is yet to receive acceptability along the South Goan beach areas.