f you are ever planning on taking a swim in the popular Indian coastal resort state of Goa, be sure to pack a lifejacket.

In fact, only 1 candidate out of 129 participants actually passed the lifeguard swimming test, which included swimming 400 meters (1,320 feet) in nine minutes. Nearly half couldn't swim that length at all.

Goa's tourism bureau was hoping to recruit lifeguards to man the beaches, which are a popular destination for both domestic and foreign tourists. However, Goa's pristine beaches have been marred in the past four years, with over 200 people, mostly tourists, drowning in the sea off Goa.

Sanjit Rodrigues, managing director of the Goa Tourism Development Corp, tells AFP, "It was a revelation. We can at best relax age qualifications of candidates, but definitely not pick up lifeguards who cannot meet the standards."