Coast Guard helicopter rescues armyman off Goa beach

A 26-year-old army man was rescued by the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Thursday after he was swept into the sea here. The Pune-based Army personnel (name not disclosed), who was holidaying in Goa, slipped from the rocks and fell into the choppy waters near Cabo da Rama Fort in South Goa district.

A lifeguard of Drishti Lifesaving Services, which guards the state's beaches, tried to reach him but the high waves made it impossible, said its spokesperson. Another lifeguard threw a rescue tube for the man to cling onto and the ICG control room was alerted.

A helicopter was rushed to the spot and a team led by the Coast Guard's aircrew driver Himmat Singh rescued him. His condition was said to be stable.

Beach lifeguards, meanwhile, rescued three persons in the coastal state since Wednesday. Two tourists were rescued off the beach in Calangute in North Goa district, while another man was rescued from Colva creek in South Goa.