When it gets funny, quirky and weird on Goa’s beaches

Goa is a fun place for travellers, no doubt. The soft sand beneath the feet and the water lapping at your ankles are too irresistible.

So, it is normal for any tourist to beat the stress of the day by getting carried away by the sound of the waves. However, stressed you may be, you can calm down with a stroll on the beach and a swim in the seawater.

However, it's very unfortunate that even in such a peaceful setting of a beach, there are those who disregard safety precautions given by the lifeguards, who care about everyone's safety.

Among those seeking calm, there will always be a few, some intoxicated, who will not just want to venture in to the deep water, but in the bargain risk their lives and put the lifeguards under pressure.

To tackle such individuals, lifeguards of Drishti Marine, (the state-appointed professional lifeguard agency), are equipped with rescue techniques as well as with the necessary soft skills to handle any situation that may arise, especially excuses – which are sometimes hilarious – they face from over-enthusiastic beachgoers.

From dialogues like ‘Tu jaanta hain mera baap kaun hain?’ to ‘I’m a professional swimmer’, here are a few funny, witty and quirky excuses people come up with when lifeguards request them to move out of the water or not to venture too deep due to the uncertain nature of sea in summer.

TU JAANTA HAIN MERA BAAP KAUN HAIN?

Many who visit the beaches are vacationers whose holiday spirit makes them believe they are not accident-prone.

This leads them to enter unsafe swim zones or rocky areas, informs Ananyaa Bath, lifesaver and instructor, Special Rescue Training Academy (SRTA), Drishti Marine. 

“Accidents can always take place and, as lifesavers, it is our duty to look out for and prevent people from getting hurt, no matter the excuses they give us,” says Bath.

She adds, “Some of the most common excuses we receive from people on the beach when we request them to move away from danger, ‘We are national-level swimmers!’ or ‘I'm a professional diver!’ We occasionally also get to hear the dialogue, Tu jaanta hain mera baap kaun hain’, a commonly-used phrase across the country.”

IS THE POOL AND BEACH THE SAME?

Samir Kankonkar, Drishti Marine lifesaver and supervisor, from Palolem beach, said that he has had to deal with beachgoers who would compare beach swimming to pool swimming.

“When we inform them about the perils of sea-swimming, we have got a few people who insisted on their pool-swimming expertise, which is a different ball game altogether. They are not aware of the rip currents at this time of the year. They say, ‘We can swim in a pool, swimming in the sea is the same’.”

It is not the same and many have learned it the hard way by even losing their lives.

CAN A FLOATER HELP?

Another excuse lifeguards receive regularly is that they should be left alone because they are using floaters. Samir adds, "The guests or visitors ask us to leave them as the floaters will help them float. ‘I have a floater, I can swim’ is the excuse, but they often they end up struggling to float even in shallow water.

Floaters can restrict arm and leg movement, making it difficult to swim effectively or manoeuvre in water. This can be dangerous if someone gets caught in a current or needs to tread water.

YOUR JOB IS TO SAVE US

When beachgoers don’t listen, it becomes difficult for them as well as for the lifeguards.

“Our mission is to save lives, but sometimes, beachgoers tend to literally place their lives in our hands, because of their desire to swim in deep water. I remember one such strange yet funny response from a swimmer, ‘So what if I go swimming in deep waters? You are there to save me,'" Yallappa Sidhramappa, Drishti Marine Lifesaver and Supervisor from Baina beach said.

CAN BEING GOAN SAVE YOU FROM DROWNING?

Not just the tourists, but Goans too can be quite annoying. Just because they have access to the beaches, unlike those who come from outside the State, doesn’t make them swimming experts, which they claim to be. 

Hanumanta Yemnappa Harijan, Drishti Marine lifesaver stationed at Hollant beach says, he has experienced some people who refuse to move from the beaches and proffer weird explanations.

“Sometimes, people refuse to leave, even when the beaches are closed after sunset or during rough seasons. Instead of clearing the beach, they instead tell us, ‘Tum jao, hum swimming jaante hain! (You leave, we know to swim) or ‘Aami Goenkar’ (We are Goans) or ‘Aami ingachech!’ (We are locals!).”

KEEPING A CLOSE EYE

Many cite their proximity to a shack where they have left their belongings to dodge the lifesavers’ instructions.

“When asked to leave when the beach closes for the night they say, ‘Our clothes and belongings are in this shack so we cannot leave’. Some, who are under the influence of alcohol, try to ignore our instructions by simply saying. ‘Okay/Bare/Thik hain’. But we cannot give up. Instead, we keep a close eye on such visitors,” says Sashikant Jadhav, Drishti Marine Lifesaver and Operations Manager, North and South Sector.

Lifeguards are there to enforce beach rules and regulations for everyone's safety.

Tourists and locals, alike should realise disregarding their warnings will not only put their lives to risk but also create a stressful situation for them and other beachgoers.

So, the next time you pack your sunglasses and sunscreen and head to the beach, the best thing to do would be to know your lifeguard and guard your life. Don't try to be a hero.