Goa: 1 dead, 20 rescued after tourist boat sinks off Calangute beach
Boat capsizes 60 metres from coastline; all except two were wearing life jackets; government-appointed lifesaving agency Drishti Marine rescues tourists
One person died and 20 were rescued after a tourist boat capsized in the Arabian Sea off Calangute beach in North Goa on Wednesday (December 25).
This comes a week after a Navy craft lost control and crashed into a passenger ferry off the Mumbai coast, killing 15 people.
Two had no life jacket on
The incident in Goa occurred around 1.30 pm on Christmas day, police told news agency PTI.
“A 54-year-old man died and 20 others were rescued and taken to a nearby hospital for treatment after the boat they were travelling in capsized,” a senior police official said.
Also read: After ferry tragedy, life jackets mandatory for boat rides from Gateway of India
Except for two passengers, all others were wearing life jackets, he said.
Family of 13 on board
The passengers included children as young as six years old and women, he said.
A spokesman of Drishti Marine, a government-appointed lifesaving agency, said the boat capsized around 60 metres from the coastline, plunging all the passengers into the water.
A family comprising 13 members from Khed in Maharashtra were among the passengers on board, he said.
Drishti Marine to the rescue
On seeing the boat sinking, a Drishti Marine member rushed to their help and called for backup, he said.
“In all, 18 on-duty lifesavers rushed to the aid of the struggling passengers and brought them to the shore safely,” he said.
The injured passengers were given first aid, while those who were critical were rushed to a medical facility in an ambulance, the spokesman said.
“Of the 20 passengers, two children aged six and seven respectively, and two women aged 25 and 55 respectively, were revived and hospitalised,” he said, adding that two passengers on the boat were not wearing life jackets.
Also read: Parents on Mumbai ferry planned to toss children into the sea, say CISF rescuers
The 54-year-old man who died was among the six persons who were critical as they got trapped under the upturned boat.
Within week of Mumbai tragedy
Goa is a popular tourist destination, especially during the Christmas and New Year celebrations.
The incident occurred a week after a speeding Navy craft undergoing engine trials lost control and crashed into passenger ferry Neel Kamal off the Mumbai coast, killing 15 persons.
The ferry, carrying more than 100 passengers, was on its way from Gateway of India to Elephanta Island, a popular tourist attraction famous for its cave temples.
(With agency inputs)
