A 54-year-man died and around 20 others were rescued after a tourist boat capsised off Calangute beach in North Goa on Wednesday, police said.
The boat was carrying 13 members of a family from Maharashtra’s Khed, among other passengers. Except for two passengers, all others were wearing life jackets, police said. The boat capsised approximately 60 meters from the coastline around 1:30 PM, causing all the passengers to fall into the sea.
“A 54-year-old man died and 20 others were rescued and taken to a nearby hospital for treatment,” a senior police official told news agency PTI.
“A total of 18 on-duty lifesavers promptly rushed to assist the struggling passengers and safely brought them ashore,” a spokesperson of the lifeguard agency said. The injured passengers received first aid, while those in critical condition were transported to a medical facility by ambulance, the spokesperson added.
“Of the 20 passengers, two children aged six and seven each, and two women aged 25 and 55 each, were revived and hospitalised,” he said, adding that two passengers on the boat were not wearing life jackets.
Goa witnesses heavy footfall the Christmas and New Year celebrations holidays.