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Goan washed away in Karwar flash floods, presumed dead, returns

  • The victims had tried to climb boulders to wait for the water to recede but were unsuccessful
  • Yashwant Raikar, who was believed to have been dead as he was washed along with the current, returned
  • He narrated how he managed to hang on for dear life
Goan washed away in Karwar flash floods returns

In the flash floods that occurred on Sunday at the Nagarmadi Falls in Karwar, seven tourists from Goa were reported to have been washed away in the rivulet.

Rescue workers tried and only could find three of the people who had been washed away. But then on Monday, a small cheer arose among the locals as one Yashwant Raikar from Goa, who was believed to have been dead as he was washed along with the current, returned.

While the terrible incident was unfolding, a tourist managed to film the happening and in it clearly showed the six being washed away. Raikar’s family was devastated.

According to a Times of India report, details the survivor’s tale.

Like any tourist at the Falls, he and his wife Ashwini were preparing food and noticing the sudden rise in water level he grew alarmed. He noticed a young boy who was trying to escape the flood but had fallen down, Raikar ran to help the child. The boy he brought to safety but in the process lost his footing and was washed away himself

Raikar narrated his ordeal and recounted how he got swept downstream for over 2kms and unable to fight against the strong current, he was thrown against the rocks and boulders leaving him quite weak. He says, he knows swimming but even that too proved useless against the tide. He luckily caught hold of a hanging tree branch and clung on for dear life. He was almost sure he’d be dead soon.

As the water receded, he used whatever energy was left in him to swim towards the shore. He heaved himself out of the water and fell unconscious. Luckily, a search party spotted him and sent him for immediate medical attention.

Seeing the video and also what had happened in front of their eyes, his family had lost hope and had started believing that they had lost him. When told how the people were mourning him, he answered, “I'm alive,” and added, “I never thought the picnic would cost us so dearly. It was a nightmare and I'll never forget those moments.”  

The victims are Frenzila Pires, Fiona Pacheco, Marcelina Estibeiro, Siddu Chari, Sameer Gavade and Renuka, whose body has not been found.

Mercelina's body was found near a prawn-growing farm while the bodies of Chari and Gavade were found in the Seabird area.

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