Panaji: A senior citizen couple who were taking a stroll along Goa’s Candolim beach on Friday morning were swept away by the high waves and drowned, police said.
Police said the incident took place at around 11am when four people, part of a larger group of 14 who were visiting Goa, decided to go for a morning walk along the Candolim beach.
Superintendent of police (SP) Akshat Kaushal said that while walking on the beach, three out of the four were swept away by the waves.
He said that the locals who were present at the scene immediately rushed and were able to rescue one woman, identified as Kalpana Parekh, 68, who is currently being treated at the Goa Medical College and Hospital. Whereas the bodies of a senior couple, identified as Prakash Doshi, 73, and Harshita Doshi, 69, residents of Matunga in Mumbai, were fished out, said the SP.
Goa’s beaches are closed for swimming during the monsoon, and the lifeguarding agency has urged the public to avoid swimming due to rough sea conditions, including dangerous rip currents and high tides, in addition to strong winds, which makes venturing into the sea risk prone.
The west coast stretching from Phalghar in Maharashtra through Udupi in Karnataka is currently under a severe high tide alert with a warning that waves could range from 4-4.3 meters high.
The monsoon, which typically lasts from June to September, triggers increased rainfall, rough seas and unpredictable weather patterns, making water-oriented activities along the coastline particularly risky.
An advisory has also been issued urging visitors to avoid rocky areas, cliffs and hills along the shoreline. During the monsoon season, these locations become especially dangerous due to their slippery surfaces. The sea also experiences increased wave height, intensity and frequency, significantly raising the risk of beachgoers being swept into the turbulent waters, according to lifeguarding agency Drishti.