The 2022 Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA) World Championships are making headlines and it's not because of any medals won by Team USA.
When Anita Alvarez, an artistic swimmer, fainted underwater she seemed destined to perish at the bottom of the pool.
The lifeguards weren't moving quickly enough and all seemed hopeless.
That's when Anita Fuentes sprang into action.
Fuentes, a coach for the team, immediately jumped into the pool to save the young swimmer.
According to The New York Post:
"I had to jump in because the lifeguards weren’t doing it."
"I was scared because I saw she wasn’t breathing, but now she is doing very well.”
Fuentes said Alvarez wasn't breathing for at least two minutes because her lungs were filled with water.
Thankfully, Fuentes' quick thinking saved Alvarez's life—and she eventually coughed up all the water in her lungs and began breathing normally again.
Twitter was quick to laud Fuentes as a true hero.
But this isn't the first time that Alvarez had to be rescued.
According to The Huffington Post, Alvarez had to be rescued from the bottom of a pool at a similar event in Spain last year...and it was Fuentes who did the honors there, as well.
The outlet also confirmed that Alvarez, 25, has a history of "blacking out," though it isn't clear if it was on a regular basis or just while in competition.
But Anita Alvarez is a trooper.
She spoke to NBC News about the incident.
She's hoping to be able to compete in the finals for the FINA World Championships but will have to decide with her doctor if she's physically capable of doing so.
Either way, we'll definitely be rooting for her!
She's nothing if not a brave, resilient woman.
We wish nothing but success for her in the future—in and out of the pool.
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