Written by Intern Rency Gomes, Team Allycaral
The Goa government-appointed lifesaving agency, Drishti Marine, successfully rescued 13 students of the Dona Paula-based National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) after the fishing trawler they were travelling in ran aground on a sandbar around 200 metres off Miramar beach on Tuesday morning.
The rescue operation was coordinated from Drishti Marine’s newly deployed floating Seahorse platform stationed off Miramar beach. The platform, introduced to significantly reduce response time during marine emergencies, enabled lifesavers to quickly assess the situation and initiate rescue efforts, preventing further escalation as panic spread among those onboard.
The incident occurred at around 10.15 am on January 13, when lifesaver captain Shahish Ballikar noticed a stationary trawler that appeared overcrowded beyond its usual fishing capacity. Along with lifesaver Swapnil Khandolkar, Ballikar immediately launched a jet ski from the Seahorse platform to approach the vessel and evaluate the situation. The trawler crew sought assistance, and an initial attempt to tow the grounded boat with the help of a nearby trawler failed after the rope snapped.
As anxiety increased among the stranded students, Drishti Marine escalated the response by deploying a Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) alongside the jet ski, prioritising evacuation over towing. All 13 students—nine women and four men—were safely transferred from the trawler, provided with safety equipment, and brought ashore without any injuries.
According to lifesaver Swapnil Khandolkar, the grounded trawler was spotted during low tide after distress signals were observed from a nearby boat. He stated that when the towing attempt failed, the team immediately shifted focus to evacuation, ensuring that all students were safely transported ashore using Drishti Marine’s rescue boat.
Ahead of the festive season, Drishti Marine has deployed four floating Seahorse platforms at high-footfall beaches, including Calangute, Candolim and Miramar in North Goa, and Baina in South Goa, to enhance coastal vigilance and emergency preparedness. Once positioned, each Seahorse platform is stabilised by four legs anchored into the seabed and can be placed 20 to 30 metres from the shoreline, depending on tidal conditions.
The Seahorse platform is part of a series of innovative safety initiatives introduced by Drishti Marine, which also include AI-powered surveillance bots, a trained canine paw squad for beach safety, and Sagar Safar, a guided sea-swimming experience designed to educate beachgoers about sea conditions, beach flags, and safe swimming practices.
Discover more from Allycaral
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
