Goa drowning: Help to find witnesses!

artirina

Hello, everybody!
I am looking for witnesses of my brother death in GOA.
My brother Andrey, Ukrainian, was in Goa on 10 days vacation. He stayed in “Colonia Santa Maria” hotel.
We were said he drowned on November, 2, 2007 at 6 p.m. near hotel beach. Two Englishmen (or English-speaking person) took him out of the water and tried to save him but failed. That is all we know.
I would deeply appreciate any information regarding this event. Please e-mail me: artirina AT nycap.rr.com ; ira_artemenko AT yahoo.com.

atala

I am very sad to read this. I hope you find the witnesses, or someone in the area to look for them, even though it is a bit late now. My condolences for your loss.

patti123

artirina.Thats really awful news about your brother.My condolences to you and all your family.
I would have thought the 2 English guys ran from a shack they were on. Have you been to Goa and seen what shack was near to where your brother was swimming ? The shack owners might know who the 2 guys were , if they go to the shack regularly.
There are a lot of drownings in Goa.Life guards are few and some cant swim !
I always thought each shack should have a sign up that says how bad the current is in the sea.

vandy

My sincere condolences to you & your family on your loss.

Hope someone can assist with some Information.

vandy

artirina

Thank you everybody, who responded to my request. Thanks for condolences. It's very hard to accept death and I just trying to find out the reason of my brother drowning. He was 36 years old, in good health, sober, curious but not risky. May be there is any kind of poison jellyfish or cramp-fish, that could cause a drowning...Is current really so dangerous in the sea? I have never been to Goa and know nothing about this place.

edwardseco

Goa does have nasty rip tides. Never heard of other problems. Did help to pull in the victim of another drowning once. Very sad and tragic. May I suggest an advertisement in a Goan newspaper? I know the English media only reaches so far so..

jyotirmoy

Death due to drowning must have been registered with the police. Some one currently in Goa can check up with the local police station near the place where he died. Statements must have been made & recorded.

julesa

i'm very sorry to hear of your brother's death. it must be very hard on you and your family right now.

as far as working out how he may have drowned, the key question is - what were his swimming and sea skills like?

water is always very dangerous, in all circumstances. i wouldn't want to be presumptuous, but often the circumstances of drowning are very straightforward, such as simply being swept further out to sea than the person can swim back (against the rip tide).

as a coastal residing australian, i was taught to swim from an early age, and always respect the sea. many drownings that occur at our beaches involve migrants or tourists who see all the locals swimming in the surf and assume it's safe to jump in with them.

you need to be very careful.

Nick-H

There is a noticeboard on Chennai Marina beach telling how many people have drowned there. It is in the hundreds. Still you will see local boys in the water every day, and very regularly there is news in papers of those for whom it was their last swim. Tourists often know nothing of beaches, sea, currents, undertow, and may be emboldened by the locals.

Even on a safe beach, cramp can happen, tourists may foolishly combine alcohol with swimming, many risks are present. Even sober, those with the greater strength and confidence can get into the most trouble.

This is so sad, but true. Yes, the sea is a killer.

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capt_mahajan

Another one of the North American sayings I like, "Tell me about it"

Back to the OP, I am curious why a witness is required. Whatever be the reason, jyoti's suggestion, of finding out about a police or official report, will be a good start to finding such witnesses.

If none were present or recorded, maybe talk to the cops who first arrived on the scene?

Nick-H

I think maybe artirina just wants to know what happened.

I have no idea whether the details would help, or increase the pain, but some people feel that not knowing is worse.

The word 'witness' tends to conjure up legal or business issues. Perhaps those are there too, but I get the feeling that she just wants to know, to help her accept this tragedy.

edwardseco

Not knowing is its own pain. In the case I was involved with the brother was waiting onshore. Made a lousy evening truly miserable. All I can express is deep sympathy. I don't know how to make the grief any less. I am still coping with such a close loss nearly a year later. It just doesn't seem any less..

capt_mahajan

Takes time, they tell us. They don't tell us how much time

Artrina, maybe a small advert in local papers with a small reward would help, if the enquiry with the police is blank.

This is because there may be witness who did not want to get involved in a police matter at that time. A beach near a hotel will never be totally isolated.

patti123

There are a lots of drownings in Goa. The sea looks very calm,but there is a current that drag people under.
If you are on Baga/Candolum beach you will see the helicopter come over and look for the missing /drowned swimmers. We see 2 in 1 hours last season.
http://www.google.co.uk/search?clien...oo gle+Search

GoanCanuck

Very very sorry to hear about your brother's tragic demise. What type of information are you looking for? I have contacts within the Calangute cop house.