The 25-year-old artistic swimmer ended his routine and drowned at the bottom of the lake. Her coach Andrea Fuentes jumped into the pool just in time and managed to pull her out and she received immediate medical attention.
The whole incident of Anita Lavarez’s dramatic rescue was picked up by AFP photographers by her trainer Fuentes and shared by the news agency.
After being pulled out of the water, Alvarez, who still looked unconscious, was placed on a stretcher and taken to a swimming pool medical center. The audience was stunned.
The Spanish newspaper Marca was quoted by AFP as saying: “It was a big fear. I had to jump because the lifeguards weren’t doing that. “
“I was scared because I noticed she wasn’t breathing, but now she’s doing well,” Fuentes said.
Quick rescue.afp Photographers Oli Scarf and Peter Kohlami dramatically rescue USA’s Anita Alvarez from the bottom of a pond after she fainted in the women’s singles free artistic swimming final at the Budapest 2022 World Aquatics Championships. pic.twitter.com/8Y0wo6lSun
– AFP News Agency (AFP) June 23, 2022
Four-time Olympic medalist Fuentes told Spanish radio that Alvarez fainted because of the effort he put into his routine.
“There was only water in his lungs. Once he started breathing again, everything was fine,” said Fuentes.
I thought for an hour. I said things weren’t right.
“She wasn’t breathing … I went as fast as I could, like an Olympic final,” said Fuentes.
Alvarez – who is the 2021 USA Artistic Swimming Athlete – was looking for a medal at her third World Championships. However, she failed to finish the podium and finished seventh. Japan’s Yukiko Inui won the gold, while Ukraine’s Marta Fidina and Greece’s Evangelia Platanoti won silver and bronze, respectively.
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