Shashikant Jadhav, a 38-year-old lifeguard and operations manager with Drishti Marine — a private agency tasked by the Goa Government to curb incidents of drowning off the state’s beaches — remembers what inspired him to get into the profession.
Speaking to The Better India, he recalls, “Although I’m from Raigad district, Maharashtra, I grew up in a small village in South Goa. Visiting the beach nearby, I fell in love with it and learnt how to swim in the sea with my friends. But I also saw many people drowning in the sea and that left a real impression on me. Growing up, I wanted a job where I could save people’s lives.”
Before Drishti Marine was operational in 2008, Shashikant was a lifeguard working for another company contracted by the tourism department of the Goa Government.
“Earlier, there was little to no coordination in rescue efforts. There were times when the people in charge didn’t even know I had swam out into the sea to rescue someone. We didn’t…