Goa struggles to find lifeguards

Goa, one of India's most popular tourist destinations, has been saddled with a difficulty in finding new lifeguards to patrol its beaches, according to reports.

In the past four years, around 200 people have drowned along the region's shoreline, with six people dying in one day during August this year.

This led to the local authorities taking immediate action, however, although a recruitment campaign for lifeguards resulted in 129 applicants, only one passed the obligatory swimming test.

Sanjit Rodrigues, managing director of the Goa Tourism Development Corporation, told the BBC: "First of all we test the applicants for their ability to swim fast. The candidates have to clock 400 metres in nine minutes. Only one of the applicants managed it.

"We follow very stringent parameters for recruitment of lifeguards. We don't mind waiting a little longer for the international quality lifeguards.

One of the principal factors suggested for the amount of deaths is the flood of tourists beginning to appear during the off-season.

Locals noted that some tourists tend to "go berserk" when confronted with stormy conditions on the beach.

With alcohol readily available, many lifeguards that are present during the bad weather are overpowered by boisterous tourists eager to jump into the choppy water.