Goa's Deadly Beaches: Tragedy at Colva

SANJAY_DEL

Three teenagers from Karnataka have drowned in south Goa's Colva beach.
Three students from Nagaland met their watery graves on the same beach in the first week of January.
Goan beaches attained notoriety last year due to the spate of drowning deaths -- nearly 100. The death toll has crossed double digit in the first eighteen days of this year.

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus...0701191431.htm

goangoangone

I hadn't realised it was so many. I knew it was more than last year. Tragic.

__________________
GoanGoan......here

Sprocket

There is an organisation based in Pune called the R.L.S.S that trains people in advanced first aid and lifeguarding skills that is working hard to train local people to help cut back the terrible toll on the population.
I was involved as a trainer for a short time a few years ago and it was one of the most positive experiences I've ever had. Unfortunately the tax base does not allow local government to become fully involved. I believe a few private hotels in Goa provide lifeguards but it's not common unfortunately. I'll dig out some more info' if anyone's interested.
Sea conditions aroung Goa (and Kerala) are often dangerous even for strong swimmers so please be careful.

bijapuri

booze, lack of swimming skill, total lack of ability to "read" the water, no awareness of tides,
Then subtract the presence of any lifeguards . . .

100 is incredibly low, IMHO.

Heck, even I, a lifelong swimmer who learned to swim the same time I learned to walk, and having spent my entire life living by the ocean, got swept out a few months ago in Myanmar!
Fortunately, I knew what to do. I could have gotten out of the rip, since I know how to do all that, but being in Asia - I called for the boy! Two local lads came out with an innertube and we had a grand time geting back to shore.

So be careful out there, and watch out for rogue waves when walking the shore!

__________________
lookit me!!!: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bijapuri/

Utube fuzzy logic:
http://youtube.com/profile_videos?user=bijapuri&p =r

machadinha

It's not just Goa and Kerala btw, Mahabalipuram and esp. Puri, or in fact most of the Indian coast, are equally notorious. Amazingly strong undercurrents.

Do be careful out there folks.

__________________
Reading tips, all picked up at IndiaMike : INDAX's A Comprehensive Guide To India / Dinoj Surendran's Desi Humor / ITHVC on Culture Shock & Travel Health / JetLag Travel Guides For the Undiscerning Traveller / India Travel Links

Darmabum

it's not the beaches or ocean that are deadly, it's the people who swim at them that aren't water-ready/aren't prepared/or trained to be there. I too learned to swim about the time I learned to walk . . . I'm at least as comfortable in the water as I am on land . . . you gotta be prepared . . . I mean, how many fish do you see walkin' down the street . . .

__________________
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate; our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure - Marianne Williamson

himadventures

I think bijapuri has compiled well. Bu this is also true and fact...that people who go inside water DO NOT know anything about sea and tide.

There is negligible lifeguard system on these beaches besides these beaches provide million dollars business.

This is one more example of how cheap a life is in our country...I remember one incident which happen in late nintees.

I was doing a solo coastal trek andpitched tent further deep in COLVA. I was told by two germans this story that how last evening they saw one bus stopping on road and lot of kids comes running into water. 10 kids were swept away...and a help cry was raised by those managed to yell while going in and out of water BUT no one responded.

Both Germans saw this scene and one of them did not knew how to swim but risks his life and jumps in....managed to save 2-3 kids and another guy also manages to save some but two kids eloped and thier bodies were never found.

Next day- in local media..there was only 2 line news that tides have taken two kids lives.

This incident causes so much shock to people on shore that 15-20 tourists left COLVA with me next morning.