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Goa’s beaches are famous for its calm waves, soft sand and shallow waters. That doesn’t mean that it can’t be dangerous, as there are undercurrents present at most of the popular beaches. Every year around 50 tourists drown (or are declared drowned – but that’s another story).
So it’s generally advisable to go swimming in places where there is a Beach Guard. Luckily there are now more than ever and they are even equipped with better and better gear to rescue a swimmer in distress. They have Jeeps to patrol the beaches, Jet Skis, boards and vests and occupy sometimes those small Watch Towers along the Coast.
It won’t be Pamela Anderson rescuing you, but still you can go for a safe swim here.
Like in other international beach destinations, you have Red Flags, where you are not allowed to swim (due to rip currents or other hazards), so you are supposed to swim between the Red-Yellow Flags, where a Lifeguard watches over you.
Some of those Beach Guards (like anywhere else) are probably more enthusiastic about their job then others. Here is one of the latter examples, the Bay Watch found at Colva Beach in South Goa.
Colva Beach is a multi-kilometer long stretch of soft white sand, ideal for a swim and it’s quite populated by tourists and locals alike. One should expect a few Beach Guards doing a proper job here.
Not!
This guy simply put the Red-Yellow Flags within about 20 meters of each other, every thing around is flagged red. Another 3 beach guards where sitting a few meters behind and chit-chatting, basically doing nothing.
On the 2nd picture you can see a different perspective to the South of Colva, the 3rd picture is the stretch to the North.
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January 9th, 2009 at 5:27 pm
Very cool observation of the place…
I think we don’t have that standard here yet in our commercial beaches here in the Philippines…
January 12th, 2009 at 4:28 pm
i’d like to hear more about this declared drowned story
January 13th, 2009 at 5:01 am
It’s rumored that usually all people found dead near the beach are declared drowned, to avoid showing Goa’s reputation in a bad light. Happened with some murdered tourists also. Most prominent example is the rape-murder of British teenager Scarlett Keeling in Spring 2008. Despite some 50 bruises all over her body, she was declared drowned, when her battered and tortured body was found the next morning at Anjuna Beach. Just google for her name and you won’t believe what actually happened here. So a common opinion is, that this is all too normal and happens all the time.
April 17th, 2009 at 8:39 pm
Hi guys I am the manager of South Zone Lifeguards which involves the Colva Section, guys instead of pointing out bad things in the run please check into statistics. We have reduced about 80% of the death ratio. It takes time for any new thing to fall in place, instead of appreciating the fact that these guys work 14 hours a day to keep you guys safe, you all are picking on them!
Watch it guys they need encouragement, if they stuff up you gotta go tell them on the face or meet me, i will solve it for you
April 18th, 2009 at 2:37 am
Tushar, thanks for your comment here! Please don’t take the story too serious, that’s why it’s appearing in the ‘Funny Aliens’ section. It’s what for me as an outsider appears strange. It doesn’t have to be strange for you.
And probably it isn’t your fault that the politicians only have money for a few Lifeguards, so that they are scattered over that huge area. I know that you guys are underpaid (if at all). I even remember, there was a discussion in the papers (especially the Herald), if beach patrols are needed at all and that they are only making huge profits for themselves.
The above situation for a huge beach like Colva is definitely a joke, but yeah – reality is always something different and there are 2 sides of every story.
Good luck with your work.