Samir Bhat
Curchorem: “You cannot take things lightly because sometimes it can cost you the precious lives of your near and dear,” said the grief-stricken father of two children who died due to drowning at the Canaguinim creek on Sunday afternoon.
Sanika Naik (17) and her younger brother Shlok (10), from Vastwada, Curchorem, died after drowning while playing in knee-level water at the creek.
The father Sanjay Naik, who works in a private pharmacy in Curchorem, said his wife Sarika, along with Shlok, Sanika and their two-year-old son Samar, accompanied by her sister-in-law and mother-in-law, had gone to Canaguinim to spend the evening on Sunday.
After reaching the spot, they had lunch and allowed the children to play in the water with others. As the water level was low, they felt it was safe.
Sarika said that although she was seated at a short distance away from the creek, her attention was on the children. After some time, she went to bring her youngest son Samar who was playing behind her, and when she turned again, she could not see Shlok and Sanika.
She rushed towards the spot where the children were and raised an alarm.
There were 30-40 people, including children, playing in the water.
When she went to search among the crowd for her children, someone noticed Sanika struggling in the water; she was rescued and given CPR. Sarika then informed the people that her son was also missing.
Xander Fernandes, who was present, rushed to the spot where Sanika had drowned and began searching. He noticed something at his feet, bent down and pulled out Shlok’s body by his T-shirt.
The creek bed has a slope and the depth increases to the extent that kayaking activities are conducted 20m away from where the children were playing.
Both children were shifted to Balli PHC, where Shlok was declared dead. Sanika, who was conscious, was shifted to the district hospital in Margao and later to Goa Medical College, Bambolim.
Despite treatment, she breathed her last at around 2.15 am on Monday.
The incident shocked the entire Curchorem area. Headmaster of CTN High School, Vijaykumar Kopre, said Shlok was good in academics and extracurricular activities.
He said Sanika, an ex-student now in Class 11 at CTN Higher Secondary School, was studious and well-behaved. Curchorem MLA Nilesh Cabral, social activist Rohan Gauns Desai, GPCC president Amit Patkar and others visited the bereaved family and condoled them.
After drowning incident, CM urges parental vigilance
PANAJI: Appealing to parents to remain vigilant following the recent drowning incident, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday urged them to strictly prevent children from visiting unsafe waterbodies such as streams and rivers. Sawant said he feels deeply saddened whenever such drowning deaths come to light. “The government is implementing safety measures; however, parental vigilance is key to avoiding such tragedies,” he added.
