Tragedy strikes again at Arvalem, Afghan youth drowns

BICHOLIM/PANAJI: The body of a 29-year-old Afghan national, who drowned while swimming in the Arvalem waterfall on Saturday, was recovered on Sunday morning by a six-member team of divers from the Indian Navy.

This is the second incident of drowning to take place at Arvalem falls in the last two months.

On July 31, Vanita Khedekar, 57, wife of a local priest, had drowned after she slipped and fell in the water.

According to police, the deceased, Hasif Mohammad Yusuf, a Kabul native, had come to Goa with his friends from Mumbai and were staying at a hotel in Calangute. They had travelled to the waterfall on Saturday on rented two-wheelers.

They had stepped into the water around 5.30pm to take a bath. Police said Yusuf had gone for a swim, even as his friends stayed back on the shallow end.

The strong currents dragged him in, in no time. His friends had attempted to rescue him, but in vain. It has been verified that Yusuf was not under the influence of alcohol when the accident happened.

After repeated attempts to recover the body failed, the government requested the Navy for assistance.

The commanding officer at Goa Naval Area promptly deputed a team of six divers to go to the spot and render necessary assistance.

"The team reached the site of the incident and immediately commenced extensive underwater search in the probable area. Although the depth in the area was five metres, the recent rains have made the waters murky and worsened the situation," police said.

The divers finally located the body at 10.45am and retrieved it.

The body that was handed over to the police for further proceedings, has been preserved at GMC morgue and will be handed over to relatives once they arrive in Goa.

A local resident, preferring anonymity, said tourists venture into the water despite warnings from the locals. He said police should be posted to prevent such incidents.

Sources said there are strong underwater currents in the river water and it is also difficult for swimmer to judge the depth correctly.