Panaji: To reduce lifesaver response time to drowning emergencies, Drishti Marine has deployed a novel apparatus —seahorse platforms—at four high-footfall beaches in Goa.
The floating platforms have been deployed at Calangute, Candolim and Miramar in North Goa, and Baina in South Goa.
With sand erosion making traditional watchtowers increasingly unteneble, the seahorses have been positioned offshore as floating watchtowers, allowing lifesavers to monitor swimmers from vantage points at sea.
Each unit accommodates four to six lifesavers and is equipped with a jet ski ramp, rescue boards, surfboards and rescue tubes. A jet ski is stationed on the temporary floating stations’ ramps, enabling immediate response to water-related emergencies.
“The seahorse will help reduce the response time to emergencies to under a minute, compared to the three to five minutes it currently takes for backup to reach from the beach,” Drishti Marine CEO Navin Awasthi said.
Conceptualised by Drishti Marine Chairman Rajiv Somani, the seahorse is a first-of-its-kind floating platform designed to act as a fully functional lifeguard post at sea. Once floated to a desired location, its four legs—each approximately six metres long—can be anchored into the seabed to hold the platform steady. Depending on depth and tidal conditions, it can be positioned 20 to 30 metres from the shore.
At present, lifesavers are required to monitor crowded beach stretches from towers or patrol on foot, often battling visibility challenges in high-density tourist areas. The temporary floating platforms will give teams a wider field of view.
