Jet ski operator and colleague rescue two drowning boys at Versova Beach
Despite lifeguards and a high-tide alert, the boys either missed the rescue teams, or the sequence of events unfolded too rapidly to be prevented
On Sunday at 5:30 pm, beachgoers at Versova Beach noticed two boys drowning in the distance, pulled by a strong current. Sanju Bamaniya, a jet ski operator for a local water sports company, and his colleague Bala rushed to their rescue.
"Due to the high tide alert, all water sports had been shut for two days. But the jet ski is parked outside my house at the beach, so it was handy," said Bamaniya. "People on the beach were screaming and pointing to the boys. I'd earlier seen 6 to 7 of them taking a dip, as people usually do. Because the current was strong, two of them were swept away."
Despite the presence of two lifeguards at Versova Beach, they were unable to enter the water with floaters due to the strong current. Bamaniya and Bala quickly started the jet ski and sped towards the drowning boys, aged around 12 to 13.
"One of the boys was waving their hand and was conscious. The other was floating lopsided, with his head under water," said Bamaniya. "Bala pulled the boys out, and we took them to the shore."
Once on the beach, the boys were laid on their backs and made to cough up the swallowed water. They recovered after some time and were allowed to return home. It was later discovered that the boys were from Mhada Colony, Lokhandwala in Andheri, and had gone for a swim with 6 to 7 other boys from their area. Two of them were swept away by the strong current, which the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) had forecasted to last from Saturday at 11:30 am to Sunday at 11:30 pm.
Despite the presence of lifeguards and the alert warning people not to enter the water, the boys had either missed the lifeguards, or the sequence of events unfolded too rapidly to be prevented. Bamaniya stated that the entire rescue operation took less than 10 minutes.