Goa’s Sagar Safar ocean safety initiative has trained nearly 3,000 tourists and residents across six beach stretches in 50 days, as the state continues to face drowning risks across its beaches, rivers, waterfalls and inland water bodies.
The latest phase of the programme, led by Drishti Marine with support from the tourism department, recorded 2,966 participants. The sessions cover sea behaviour, safe swimming practices and rip current awareness under the supervision of professional lifesavers.
The participation during the current operational window is more than three-quarters of the 3,867 people who attended the programme during the previous tourist season. Across its operational windows, the initiative has reached 6,833 individuals, according to the organisers.
Colva beach in South Goa recorded the highest turnout, with 1,544 participants. Calangute in North Goa followed with 1,110 attendees. The remaining participants were recorded at Utorda, Baga, Miramar and Benaulim.
The programme comes against the backdrop of 71 to 72 drowning deaths recorded in Goa during the first six months of the year. Authorities have identified recurring risk factors including visitors ignoring warning signs, underestimating rough monsoon or river currents, swimming while intoxicated and entering unmonitored areas.
Drishti Marine chief executive officer Navin Awasthi said the initiative was intended to bridge the gap between holiday leisure and awareness of ocean conditions. He said tourists often arrive to enjoy the sea but leave with a better understanding of coastal conditions and the flag system, helping build confidence among first-time swimmers and visitors who do not live along the coast.
The initiative began in 2021 under the name Swim With Lifesavers and was later expanded as Sagar Safar with support from the tourism department. Its sessions combine practical water activities with direct safety briefings, placing professional lifesavers in a preventive education role rather than limiting intervention to emergency rescue.
The participation figures also show how beach-level safety education is being concentrated at Goa’s busiest coastal locations. Colva and Calangute together accounted for 2,654 participants, or nearly 90% of the 2,966 participants recorded in the latest phase. The programme’s remaining sessions were held at Utorda, Baga, Miramar and Benaulim.
Organisers said the combination of practical water sessions and safety briefings was a crucial preventive measure against coastal drowning incidents. The initiative’s next operational steps and schedule will continue to be coordinated through the participating lifesaving and tourism authorities.
