Panaji/IBNS: A person died and 20 others were rescued after a tourist boat capsized in the Arabian Sea off Calangute Beach in North Goa on Wednesday, media reports said.

The incident occurred around 1.30 pm.

"A 54-year-old man died and 20 others were rescued and taken to a nearby hospital for treatment after the boat they were travelling in capsized," NDTV reported quoting a senior police official.

All passengers on the boat were wearing life jackets except for two.

The passengers included children as young as six years old and women.

Spokesman of Drishti Marine, a government-appointed lifesaving agency, said the boat capsized around 60 metres away from the coastline.

As the boat capsized, all the passengers fell into the seawater.

A family comprising 13 members from Khed in Maharashtra were among the passengers on board, he said.

On seeing the boat getting capsized, personnel of Drishti Marine rushed to aid and called for backup.

"In all, 18 on-duty lifesavers rushed to the aid of the struggling passengers and brought them to shore safely," he said.

The injured passengers were administered first aid, while those found in critical condition were rushed to a medical facility in an ambulance, the spokesman said.

"Of the 20 passengers, two children aged six and seven each, and two women aged 25 and 55 each, were revived and hospitalised," he was quoted by NDTV adding that two passengers on the boat were not wearing life jackets.