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Shashikant Jadhav, a 38-year-old lifeguard and operations supervisor with Drishti Marine — a non-public company tasked by the Goa Authorities to curb incidents of drowning off the state’s seashores — remembers what impressed him to get into the occupation.
Chatting with The Higher India, he recollects, “Though I’m from Raigad district, Maharashtra, I grew up in a small village in South Goa. Visiting the seashore close by, I fell in love with it and learnt how one can swim within the sea with my buddies. However I additionally noticed many individuals drowning within the sea and that left an actual impression on me. Rising up, I wished a job the place I might save individuals’s lives.”
Earlier than Drishti Marine was operational in 2008, Shashikant was a lifeguard working for one more firm contracted by the tourism division of the Goa Authorities.
“Earlier, there was little to no coordination in rescue efforts. There have been occasions when the individuals in cost didn’t even know I had swam out into the ocean to rescue somebody. We didn’t even have correct tools like a surfboard, walkie-talkie, lifeguard jeep, or jet-ski,” recollects Shashikant.
This lack of coordination, tools, and professionalism was mirrored within the lack of seashore security and the variety of drowning deaths Goa noticed. Issues got here to a head in 2007 when the state sadly noticed 200 individuals drown off the shoreline, in accordance with information studies.
As Rajiv Somani, founder and chairperson of Drishti Marine, notes, “Following the occasions of 2007, the State Authorities was prompted to take quick measures and put collectively an environment friendly system to safeguard lives alongside seashores. One of many measures adopted by the State Authorities was to nominate an expert company for enhancing seashore security.”
In 2008, Drishti Marine was tasked by the Goa Authorities to curb drowning incidents off the state’s seashores. As soon as it was awarded a contract to supply lifeguard providers for the state, Shashikant was among the many first lifeguards to hitch it.
“After I joined Drishti in July 2008, they put me via a 45-day coaching course the place I discovered the finer particulars of lifeguarding and how one can use the brand new tools given to us. There was a higher emphasis on security right here. In my earlier job, we’d get no backup throughout rescue efforts. Now, each time we exit on a rescue, we’re supported by jet skis, backup lifeguards, and many others. Additionally, we obtain steady coaching and have reorientation periods yearly to maintain up with the most recent strategies and expertise,” says Shashikant.
Braving the waves: Goa’s Drishti Marine
The information of Drishti turning into the designated company to supply lifeguard providers additionally prompted Ashwin Ghag, a former national-level swimmer, to depart Pune for Goa in 2008.
“From 1999 to 2008, I labored as a swimming coach for kids in Pune, after which I labored as a senior lifeguard. Earlier than my swimming coach and lifeguard profession, I used to be a national-level swimmer. I used to be impressed by my father to develop into a lifeguard. Watching him work as a lifeguard and save lives impressed me to develop into one,” recollects Ashwin, a 42-year-old senior lifeguard at Drishti Marine at present posted on the favored and crowded Calangute seashore.
“Whereas I used to be working in Pune, I heard a few new firm in Goa providing lifeguarding providers and that they wanted lifeguards. Together with one other senior lifeguard from Pune, I moved to Goa. Regardless of my abilities, I had little expertise of engaged on seashores. Working as a lifeguard in swimming swimming pools, I knew how one can use life-saving tools. However I didn’t know how one can use them within the sea resulting from my lack of expertise working in these environment,” he provides.
The very first thing Ashwin learnt after becoming a member of Drishti was how far more stamina a lifeguard requires to swim into an enormous water physique just like the Arabian Sea and rescue somebody.
“Whereas saving somebody from drowning in a swimming pool, you might be working in a confined house with 4 corners irrespective of its measurement. You recognize precisely the place to leap in, save the individual and drop them off at any given fringe of the pool. Within the sea, you’ll be able to solely save somebody by taking them again a technique. It’s not a confined house. One other factor I learnt about have been rip currents — sturdy and slim currents that may pull you into the water,” says Ashwin.
Immediately, Drishti Marine is the designated first responder for any beach-related emergency, together with circumstances of marine strandings. Since its inception, Rajiv claims that its 450-plus sturdy pressure of ‘lifesavers’ (lifeguards) has saved about 7,700 individuals from drowning off Goa’s shoreline.
Patrolling Goa’s shores and saving lives
Seashores in Goa are divided into zones: swim areas marked by purple and yellow flags, no-swim zones by purple flags, and watersport areas by black-and-white flags. Excessive-footfall seashores have devoted lifesaver towers providing a transparent vantage level.
As Rajiv elaborates, “Swim zones are constantly monitored by lifesavers outfitted with binoculars, jet skis, backbone boards, surfboards, and rescue tubes. When an individual in misery is noticed off the seashore, the on-duty lifesaver notifies different lifesavers through radio. The rescue workforce rushes to help the individual in misery, alerts backup to name an ambulance, and accompanies the rescued particular person to the hospital for analysis.”
“Lifesaver towers are stocked with emergency medical tools — reminiscent of first help kits, backbone boards, surfboards, rescue boards, rescue tubes, handheld radio units, bag valve masks to help in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), and Automated Exterior Defibrillator (A.E.D.) machines. The official seashore jeeps are on standby to move sufferers or distressed people to close by well being services or ambulances. Lifesavers are additionally educated in first help to supply quick help throughout medical emergencies,” he provides.
“Working in Calangute seashore, I do roughly 30 rescues a month as a result of there may be all the time a big crowd current there. Rescues often occur between an approximate vary of 30 to 50 metres into the ocean [from the shoreline]. Away from the shoreline at Calangute Seaside, we encounter plenty of rip currents. When a vacationer encounters a rip present by swimming too removed from the shore, they panic as a result of the water is pulling them into the ocean,” explains Ashwin.
How are the heroes behind the rescues chosen?
Women and men between the ages of 18 and 30 years who know swimming and are dedicated to saving victims are eligible to develop into Drishti lifesavers, notes Rajiv.
“Our hiring guidelines contains thorough bodily assessments, interviews, reference checks, and police verification. The bodily demanding nature of a lifesaver requires that women and men who apply ought to possess a excessive diploma of bodily health and our coaching workforce does the remainder. Each lifesaver should be able to swimming 400 metres in underneath 11 minutes. They should rapidly assess the capabilities and dangers of people concerned in aquatic actions, comply with on-site protocols, and supply emergency medical providers when required,” says Rajiv.
Rajiv goes on to assert, “Drishti’s 450-strong lifesaver workforce undergoes a rigorous annual refresher course to take care of and enhance their emergency response abilities, bodily health, and communication skills. The coaching contains CPR, first help, seashore operations, jet ski use, rescue tools dealing with, and numerous rescue methods. Along with lifesaving abilities, in addition they obtain coaching in management and gentle abilities to successfully handle public interactions.”
Lifesavers should full annual coaching to retain their certification and stay eligible for obligation. This programme, carried out throughout each Goan districts, is organised by the Particular Rescue Coaching Academy (SRTA), affiliated with the Nationwide Talent Growth Council, Talent India programme, and Surf Educators Worldwide of Australia.
Drishti additionally introduced the induction of ladies lifesavers on their workforce in March 2021.
Lifeguards, canine heroes, and AI expertise main seashore security in Goa
In addition to the usual tools they’re given, Drishti Marine has additionally employed canines to help them of their rescue and monitoring efforts.
As Rajiv claims, “Drishti Marine has additionally launched the primary of its type initiative in Asia — expertly educated canines referred to as ‘Paw Squad’ — to bolster their rescue efforts. These canines, accompanied by their handlers are educated in patrolling and detecting individuals in misery. Drishti Marine lifesavers are additionally the primary responders to any marine strandings and are educated in accordance with the Wildlife Safety Act of India.”
The company has additionally built-in ‘superior expertise’ to boost the efforts of their lifeguards.
“Our sister concern, Drishti Works, has developed AURUS — a self-driving, AI-powered robotic that patrols non-swim zones, offers logistical help, and assists lifesavers in making public security bulletins in a number of languages. It really works alongside TRITON — an AI-driven monitoring system that gives complete seashore surveillance, spots vacationers in misery within the water over lengthy distances, and aids lifesavers in emergencies. Each AURUS and TRITON are at present deployed at Miramar seashore in Panaji and operated by our ‘tech lifesavers’,” he says.
Contained in the lives and challenges of Goa’s lifeguards
Since Drishti Marine grew to become the custodian of seashore security in Goa in 2008, their lifeguards have rescued over 7,700 individuals, together with locals, and home, and worldwide vacationers, claims Rajiv.
“They’re additionally educated responders for marine life strandings, working intently with the Forest Division and NGOs centered on marine welfare. A current notable rescue occurred over the Independence Day weekend earlier this yr when Drishti lifesavers (lifeguards) rescued 9 fishermen after their boat capsized off Rajbagh Seaside in South Goa, demonstrating their skill to deal with mass rescues in excessive circumstances,” he goes on so as to add.
Regardless of the skilled coaching that the Drishti lifeguards obtain, which saves them from many risks related to saving individuals from drowning at sea, the challenges they encounter are actual.
As Shashikant notes, “When individuals are drowning, they panic. If you immediately have interaction with a sufferer of drowning, there may be all the time the hazard that they’ll drag you into the water with them.”
He provides, “As lifeguards, we’re informed to first deploy a rescue tube or board, which the individual drowning can maintain on to, flip them in direction of the shore, clear up their airways, and push them in direction of the shore. However on events you come throughout drunk individuals who have swam too far off shore and it’s onerous to get them to carry on to the rescue tube or board. With drunk individuals, we attempt to determine as a lot of them as potential and ship out groups to evacuate them from the seashore itself, or push them so far as away as potential from the shoreline.”
Ashwin, who claims to have finished 484 rescues so far, notes, “Regardless of having rescue tools, a drowning individual’s first intuition is to carry on to the rescuer as a result of they’re in a state of panic. Additionally, there are events when the rip present is so sturdy that it takes six or seven individuals with it. This occurs as a result of one individual tries to save lots of the opposite however encounters sturdy rip currents. Dealing with these conditions is difficult and also you want multiple lifeguard and a number of tools to save lots of them. I used to be a part of a rescue effort the place we saved seven individuals without delay.”
Ashwin additionally agrees that coping with drunk individuals drowning at sea is difficult. “A few of them are so drunk that they don’t even realise that they must get on high of a rescue board. Because of years of expertise and coaching, we’ve got learnt how one can deal with such conditions. The difficulty with drunk individuals is that generally they don’t have the power to get their torso on high of the rescue board. We’ve got to assist them get on high of the surfboard,” he notes.
“Nonetheless, earlier than deploying the surfboard and pushing them up on the surfboard, we’ve got to gauge the power and motion of the waves and time our efforts correctly. Now, if I bounce into the water with out timing it correctly, the rescue board could get washed away onto the shore after which I’ve to push and carry the drowning individual again with out the rescue tools. My job is to get the one that is drowning on high of the rescue board and drag them again to shore,” he provides.
Regardless of their coaching, Ashwin notes that there are events when the ocean simply overwhelms you with huge waves and robust currents. “In addition to these rip currents, you might be additionally coping with sturdy plunging waves that roll over victims of drowning. On these events, victims are sometimes dragged 200 to 400 metres away from the shoreline. As educated lifeguards, we all know how one can swim and navigate previous these plunging waves and rip currents. For vacationers, nonetheless, in the event that they get rolled underneath these huge plunging waves, they find yourself taking in plenty of seawater. In these eventualities, we’ve got to deploy jet skis to rescue them as rapidly as potential,” he explains.
“If it’s a single-person rescue, we regularly use a rescue tube. If it’s multiple individual, we use a surf/rescue board. However our quickest tools are jet skis, and these are significantly helpful through the monsoon season when the rip currents are strongest,” he provides.
Shashikant notes, “One other problem we encounter is uncooperative vacationers, particularly from overseas nations. After they go to Goa for the primary time and see the Arabian Sea, they get the impression that the waters listed below are calm. What they don’t realise is the ability of sturdy rip currents within the Arabian Sea. Generally, we get into arguments with vacationers and must name the police to disperse them away from factors the place they will probably drown.”
Regardless of their finest efforts, nonetheless, there are uncommon events when individuals drown to loss of life. How do lifeguards cope with this devastation? With a resigned look on, Shashikant says, “We’re simply human, and never gods. We do the whole lot to save lots of a life however generally God has different plans.”
“For this reason lifesaving is greater than only a job; it’s a calling,” says Rajiv.
However given the dangers they undertake, what kind of financial compensation and social safety do their lifeguards obtain?
“Usually, younger lifesavers begin their careers with a wage within the vary of Rs 18,000 monthly. Lifesavers in senior positions can earn as much as Rs 1 lakh monthly. Lifesavers are supplied with legally mandated insurance coverage insurance policies, together with workmen’s compensation, and medical insurance coverage. Moreover, those that marry are eligible for advantages, reminiscent of LIC insurance policies and stuck deposits for the couple. The organisation additionally provides a referral programme. Volunteers fascinated about pursuing lifesaving as a vocation are provided Rs 18,000 for a three-month evaluation interval,” he claims.
(Edited by Pranita Bhat; Photos courtesy Drishti Marine)
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