Mangaluru: The Arabian Sea has remained rough over the past few days. The Shivaji lifeguards at the Ullal Mogaveerapatna beach have been keeping a keen watch on the visitors to the beach.
Like it has been happening for many years, visitors from inland areas get carried away by the sight of the sea. Throwing all caution from the lifeguards to the wind, they venture into the sea.
A man from Hubballi who had come with his family members to enjoy the holidays met a sad death on the beach. Vinod Potugoli (41), a security guard at the KSRTC depot on Gokuldas road in Hubballi, had arrived in Mogaveerapatna around 10 am on Thursday.
He was accompanied by wife Sheela, daughter Rebecca, mother Chinnamma, her sister Elizabeth and her son Anand. They had stayed in the house of Sheela’s sister Vimala in Olavinahalli in Kinya during their stay here.
When they arrived at the beach, Vimala’s sister’s children Alister and Triza were also with them. The lifeguards warned them not to get into deep waters. So they went to play in the water near the Summer Sands resort.
Vinod was dragged away by a huge wave. On hearing the shouts of the family members for help. The Shivaji team swung into action and tried to save him. But it was too late. Vinod had already died.
The holiday turned a nightmare for the group. All of them, sadly, had the misfortune of seeing a family member die in front of them.