CHENNAI: Even as the Marina rescue unit was searching for a college student who drowned in the beach on Saturday, another teenager was rescued by the team on Sunday.
The rescue unit was searching for Saicharan, a B Tech student who drowned in the sea off Marina on Saturday. The team began its search operations on Sunday morning, when it noticed a youth being dragged away by the waves. The unit members swam into the sea and managed to pull him out. He was identified as M Paramasivan of Ambattur.
“He appeared scared, as he couldn’t come out of the shock. He was able to realise the danger only after he was dragged out of the sea. Some of them fail to take the warnings seriously,” said a police officer.
The unit is equipped with emergency oxygen cylinders for victims who have trouble breathing, life jackets made of polyester fabric and stuffed with foam that are used to keep a person buoyant in water and ring buoys, a safety equipment for lifeguards, for deep-sea rescues.
M S Bhaskar, assistant commissioner of police, Triplicane, said teenagers get into the water for fun or under the influence of alcohol. “Soon after when they find their friends drowning, their peer groups search by themselves and fail to alert us on time. We have set up seven watchtowers, police patrolling and also alerted horsemen to report drowning. ”
