Lifeguards thwart Bangalore girl’s life bid; rescue teenager at Panambur beach

TOI

Mangalore, 14 Jul 2012: It was an eventful day for the ever alert lifeguards of Panambur Beach Tourism Development Project at Panambur beach near here in that they ended up thwarting a life bid by a rebuked girl from Bangalore early in the morning. Even before this news could die down, they were back in action later in the afternoon, when they rescued a teenager from drowning. He was among a group of tourists from Whitefield, who were touring the district.

 

Their day began when the lifeguards thwarted a bid by Shwetha (21), daughter of Shivakumara Swamy, resident of Electronics City, Bangalore from ending her life at Panambur beach near here on Saturday. Shwetha who hired an auto rickshaw on her arrival at KSRTC bus station at Bejai from Bangalore asked the auto rickshaw driver to take her to a beach and the driver dropped her at Panambur beach. The girl paid the auto rickshaw driver Rs 200 and later made her way to the Sea.

 

Yathish Bykampady, chief executive officer of the Beach Tourism Development Project told STOI that the girl, who was working at a clothes store owned by the family in Bangalore was apparently upset at being rebuked by her uncle at not discharging her duties at the store properly. "Shwetha arrived at the beach with merely a cell phone in her possession," Yathish said, adding that lifeguards, who spotted her jump in to the Sea, immediately rescued her.

 

The project authorities informed the jurisdictional Panambur police station, who in turn informed Shwetha’s parents. "Her parents came and took Shwetha back with them," Yathish said, adding that lack of rains and clear visibility helped the lifeguards spot Shwetha as she entered the sea, which is unusually rough during monsoon. Panambur police said they did not register a case against Shwetha and she was sent with her parents after advising her.

 

Sai Tej (13), son of Venugopal from Whitefield was the second beneficiary of timely action by the lifeguards later in the day. Sai Tej, part of around 150 tourists from Whitefield, who had come in three buses, was playing in the Sea when a huge way sucked him away. The tourists, not aware of the rough sea conditions, had come with the express intent to enjoy the Sea, Yathish said, adding that in their merriment, failed to keep an eye out on the teenager.