Matt Dennien, SLSG (Documentary/Photojournalism (ATEP 2017))

The sprawling beaches of Goa, India are undoubtedly the state's biggest drawcard. Each year tourists from interstate and overseas flock to swim and sun themselves on cushioned chairs, cocktails in hand, against the backdrop of the Arabian Sea. Others crowd the beachside clubs day and night for marathon trance parties. Though the ever-present ocean is ever-indifferent to human leisure. In 2008 the Government of India sought to implement a beach safety program to address a rise in drowning rates, with ninety-percent of drowning cases in the state of Goa involving those under the influence of alcohol. Two instructors from Australia’s Surf Life Saving New South Wales visited Goa to assist with the training and establishment of a recruitment program which would allow the service to grow and maintain itself, to ensure the continued safety of the many who travel to Goan shores. Eight years on, with over 700 lifeguards, Surf Life Saving Goa is the largest professionally run lifeguard service in India, patrolling all 105km of the state’s beaches.

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