Goa: 64-year-old Russian tourist drowns

A 64-year-old Russian tourist drowned at Arambol Beach in North Goa district on Sunday. Sipo Nicolas, the deceased, was suspected to have suffered a heart attack, said a spokesperson of Drishti Marine, a private lifeguard agency.

Nicolas' wife approached lifeguards on the beach around 5 pm, saying that her husband was missing. A search was started, and Nicolas was found floating in unconscious state in waist-deep water some distance away from the shore. He was rushed to Pernem Primary Health Centre but was declared dead on arrival, the spokesperson said.

His wife suspected that he had had a heart attack, the spokesperson added. Local police were unable to provide any information about the death. By one estimate, over one lakh tourists from Russia and surrounding countries visit Goa every year.