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Coach Dives In To Save Drowning U.S. Swimmer Who Blacked Out Underwater During World Championships
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.
\u201cThis is one of the most powerful photos I\u2019ve seen in a long time. It embodies the true human spirit of love and sacrifice. It also reminds me that we all need \u201crescuing\u201d from time to time. Glad Anita Alvarez is okay and thankful to Andrea Fuentes for her act of selflessness.\u201d— Brad Hardin (@Brad Hardin) 1655995364
\u201cThe photos from the Anita Alvarez rescue tells me that THIS is how lifeguard rescue videos need to be shown. Amazing capture of a rescue. This will be shown in lifeguard training classes for decades. The number one thing they reinforce is that experienced swimmers can drown too.\u201d— Denae Eickbush (@Denae Eickbush) 1655994512
\u201cSome of these shots of Anita Alvarez's coach, Andrea Fuentes, rescuing her should be counted among the all-time iconic sports photos.\n\nHumanity, empathy, vulnerability, alertness, and bravery - all frozen in pixels.\n\nExcellent work by AFP photographers Oli Scarff & Peter Kohalmi.\u201d— Annesha Ghosh (@Annesha Ghosh) 1655998518
\u201c@TMZ Well done to her coach and bloody shame on the lifeguards that stood back and did nothing!!\u201d— TMZ (@TMZ) 1656009021
\u201cAndrea Fuentes rescuing Anita Alvarez because lifeguards weren\u2019t doing their one job.\u201d— Fait Accompli XY KPSS (@Fait Accompli XY KPSS) 1655994186
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.