Goa Blog

It’s the monsoon season and the weather is rough (even if it doesn’t really show at the moment). How many Goans do we see swimming at any of our Goan beaches during this season? We may see 0.1% or no Goans venturing into the sea at this time of the year. This is because we have seen the rough seas and know the dangers.

Though there are lifeguards and signboards with requests to tourists not to venture into the sea in a drunken state; and also asking them to swim in demarcated areas alone, tourists do not seem to pay any attention to the
impending dangers.

For many of them, it is a happy moment, getting into the water… they do not realise that there could be a moment of distress and pain hurtling towards them and their families.

On a recent evening, I was with my daughter at the Colva park, which has been done up beautifully for children to play at. A short while at the park, I heard word spread that a young Indian tourist boy had been swallowed by the sea and the police were called to help out.

The police in turn called the police station to wireless the coast guard, I was told. I wondered, after an hour what could the coast guard really do? Rescue would be impossible. Finding the body too could be done only if there were divers. The lifeguard was off duty as his timings were up to 5.30 pm. The body would probably float in a day or two.

I heard that the lifeguard had requested those on the beach not to venture into the sea as the weather was rough. A request that was ignored by those stubborn few who felt like heroes getting into the water.

Heading to the beach, I looked around to see that most people present were tourists. What was worse, though the horrific incident had happened a short while earlier, there were still many who ignored the call by the police to get out of the water, and heedless of the danger, continued to frolic in the sea.

As harsh as it sounds, tourists, Indian or foreign, who ignore written signs or safety calls deserve to learn it the hard way.

It is sad to see one die in such conditions but nevertheless, unless an incident like this occurs the risk factor will never be learnt by these literate yet illiterate few who disobey written requests made by the tourist department in all resorts, on the beaches and also verbal requests made by lifeguards. Such kinds of incidents bring a bad image to the tourism industry in Goa which should be very sternly taken up by the tourism ministry.

When there is a ban to prevent fishing during the monsoon, a law should be imposed to fine those who dare enter the sea during the off season (June to September) and those who enter areas that are especially demarcated as risky. We need stern laws to reduce incidents of drowning from occurring on our beaches.