PANAJI

Goa Tourism authorities today described the drowning of three tourists from Maharashtra on Monday as unfortunate but added that tourists should be cautious about swimming in the rough seas, especially during monsoon.

“The incident is unfortunate, can’t do anything about it. But we cannot keep an eye on everyone. Goa has a 105-km coastline. We already issued a warning against swimming in the rough seas,” Goa Tourism Development Corporation Chairman and BJP MLA Nilesh Cabral told reporters.

“Swimming in the sea at 5 a.m., especially in the monsoon, is not right. There were red warning flags on the beach, which means you cannot swim in the sea. Tourists should enjoy, but with precautions,” said Cabral.

Cabral also said that the Tourism Department would consult with the private agency to work out a mechanism through which such tragedies could be averted, but added that unless tourists are responsible, such incidents cannot be avoided.

“We will check with Drishti, how we can avoid such incidents. If we block people (access to the beach), then it is an issue about rights of the people,” he said.

Private beach management agency Drishti Marine, which deploys lifeguards on popular Goa beaches, last week issued a warning against swimming in the sea on account of rough currents.