A routine afternoon on the Karnataka coast turned into a tense rescue operation on Sunday when a 38-year-old man from Udupi remained in the Arabian Sea for nearly three hours, swimming as far as around three nautical miles from the shore.The man, identified as Yathish, a resident of Kadipatta, was eventually brought back safely by sea rescuer and social worker Eshwar Malpe, who entered the water and swam out to reach him. The rescue was carried out with the assistance of local swimmers and lifeguards from Padubidri Blue Flag Beach.According to News Karnataka, Yathish, who had earlier worked as a lifeguard at Padubidri Blue Flag Beach, entered the sea on Sunday afternoon and continued swimming away from the coast. As he remained in the water for an unusually long period, concern grew among people watching from the shore.Fishermen who arrived from Kaup attempted to intervene. They reportedly spent more than half an hour trying to bring Yathish back to the boat, but their efforts did not succeed. According to local reports, similar incidents involving Yathish had occurred once or twice earlier, when residents managed to bring him back to shore.With the situation continuing to unfold, Sadashiva of Padubidri contacted Udupi MLA Yashpal Suvarna, who in turn reached out to Eshwar Malpe for help.Malpe reached Padubidri beach at around 2.15pm and entered the sea. He swam nearly three nautical miles- roughly 5.6km- to reach Yathish.Rather than attempting to force him back, Malpe reportedly spoke to him calmly and persuaded him to return towards the shore. Once Yathish agreed, Malpe began swimming back alongside him.The two reached the shore at around 3.15pm, bringing the rescue operation to an end. Padubidri Blue Flag Beach lifeguards Prajwal, Sushanth and Badal, along with local swimmers, assisted during the operation.Yathish was subsequently taken to Dr AV Baliga Hospital in Udupi for treatment. Coastal Security Police and Home Guards also reached the location during the incident.The rescue has also drawn attention to the equipment available for emergencies along the coast. Local residents raised concerns over the absence of a speedboat with the Coastal Security Police, pointing out that reaching a person several kilometres offshore can become difficult without a suitable rescue craft.The incident is notable not only for the length of time Yathish spent in the water but also for the distance covered during the rescue. Three nautical miles is about 5.6km, meaning Malpe had to swim several kilometres out from the coast before bringing the swimmer back.Padubidri, on Karnataka’s Udupi coast, is home to a Blue Flag-certified beach and has trained lifeguards responsible for beach safety. The rescue also involved people familiar with the local coastline and sea conditions, as fishermen and beach personnel initially tried to assist before Malpe took over the operation.For nearly an hour after Malpe entered the water, the focus remained on getting Yathish back to land safely. By about 3.15pm, the man was finally brought ashore and shifted to hospital, ending what had become a prolonged and potentially dangerous episode off the Udupi coast.
Eshwar Malpe’s experience in sea rescues
Malpe is a familiar name in rescue operations along the Udupi coast. A previous TOI report said he had saved at least 65 people from drowning and retrieved more than 1,000 bodies over more than two decades. His familiarity with the waters around the coast has seen him called in for difficult rescue and recovery operations.That experience was called upon again on Sunday after fishermen from Kaup were unable to bring Yathish back. Malpe entered the water at around 2.15pm, reached him offshore and eventually accompanied him back to Padubidri.
