Puri: A 19-year-old tourist, Prafulla Mohalik from Indore, Madhya Pradesh, went missing while taking a bath with his friends at the Puri sea beach Wednesday. According to one of his friends, "Prafulla and I, along with five others, were bathing at Puri's Chakratirtha Road beach. But suddenly, Prafulla drowned in the deep sea. We immediately informed police. Sea Beach police station, with the help of lifeguards, conducted a search operation, but they couldn't find him. We have been in Puri since Dec 9 for a trip," the friend said.
Assistant fire officer of Puri Prabhat Kumar Rout said the drowning incident took place at Ct Road beach, which is outside the jurisdiction of his team. "Due to lack of lifeguards, we only deploy lifeguards from Digabareni to Lighthouse Beach and Blue Flag Beach. Ct Road Beach does not fall under the safe bathing zone," he said.
This incident highlights a growing concern over beach safety. In the past 30 days, over three tourists have gone missing, and more than 150 others have been rescued from Puri Sea Beach. Currently, 98 govt-appointed lifeguards are stationed in Puri district.
Lifeguard K. Sankaram pointed out that the number of lifeguards is insufficient for the large crowds that visit the beach daily. "More than 50,000 tourists visit the beach every day, and on special occasions, the number increases. Unfortunately, we don't have enough lifeguards or the necessary equipment to manage such large crowds, which is contributing to the rise in drowning incidents," he said.