Drunk Russian tourist saved on Goa beach

PANAJI - A Russian tourist, reportedly drunk, was rescued from drowning by lifeguards at Goa’s popular Candolim beach Monday afternoon, officials said.

Anton Bernladnikov, 27, who was staying at a nearby hotel, went for a swim after having a few glasses of an alcoholic beverage at a beach shack.

“Strong undercurrents at the beach pulled him deeper into the sea. We rescued him with an inflated tube,” said an official of Drishti Special Response Services, which manages the lifeguard services on Goa’s beaches.

Nearly 40,000 charter Russian tourists visit Goa annually during the tourist season stretching from October to March.