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An American swimmer passes out in the pool during a competition and is rescued by her coach. Earlier this week, American artistic swimmer Anita Alvarez lost consciousness in the pool during the FINA World Aquatic Championships in Budapest, Hungary. Her coach Andrea Fuentes saw that Anita didn’t come to the surface following her routine, so she jumped in the pool and rescued her.
Andrea, a four-time Olympic medalist in synchronized swimming, says that following a swimmer’s routine she expects them to come to the surface to catch their breath. But she noticed that Anita was dropping to the bottom of the pool at the end of her routine. She called out to lifeguards, and when they didn’t immediately respond, she jumped into the pool and pulled Anita out of the water.
Anita, who competed in the 2016 and 2020 Olympics, was treated by medical staff and reported to be in good health. Her coach says that she will rest up and consult her doctor before deciding to compete in the rest of the competition. She also pointed out that incidents like this occur in other high-endurance sports, but in those sports, the rescues tend to be a little less dramatic.
Source: CNN