US swimming coach Andrea Fuentes made a lifesaving rescue at the FINA World Aquatic Championships, reacting quickly when a swimmer sank to the bottom of the pool. Watch the dramatic rescue!
Swimmer faints during world championships, sinks to bottom of pool
A frightening moment occurred at the 2022 FINA World Championships in Budapest on Wednesday--one that could have ended in tragedy had it not been for the quick reaction of Team USA coach Anita Fuentes.
U.S. Olympic artistic swimmer Anita Alvarez, 25, was performing her routine in the solo free final when she lost consciousness and sank to the bottom of the pool, HuffPost reported.
As precious seconds ticked away, Coach Fuentes noticed that the lifeguards weren't reacting or responding.
Coach makes split-second, lifesaving rescue
Seeing swimmer Anita Alvarez remaining motionless at the bottom of the pool, and with lifeguards not taking action, Coach Fuentes knew something was wrong.
Fuentes drove into the pool fully clothed, Today reported.
The dramatic rescue was captured on camera, with Alvarez continuing to drift toward the bottom as Fuentes swam to the unresponsive swimmer. Fuentes put her arms around Alvarez, bringing her to the water's surface. Another person helped lift the unconscious swimmer out of the pool, ABC reported.
Alvarez was given immediate attention by emergency medical personnel. The swimmer was feeling much better on Thursday, according to reports.
"Anita has been evaluated by medical staff and will continue to be monitored," USA Artistic Swimming told The Associated Press in a statement. "She is feeling much better and using today to rest."
Watch the dramatic rescue here.
How quickly can someone drown?
Drowning is often referred to as a "silent killer" because it can happen so quickly. About 320,000 people die from drowning every year, according to the World Health Organization. About 3,500 people in America die from drowning each year, making it the fifth most common cause of death in the US, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
It doesn't take a lot of water to cause drowning. The shutdown of lungs as a result of liquid varies by age, weight, and respiratory health.
One reason people drown is because bystanders fail to recognize the signs. In one video study, more than half the people watching failed to recognize any signs at all. People who are trained to respond, such as lifeguards, spot trouble much faster than the untrained.
However, the failure of lifeguards to spot Anita Alvarez fainting at the world championships could have cost the swimmer her life.
The Sydney Herald reported that it takes an average of two minutes for a drowning person to become unconscious. Unfortunately for swimmer Anita Alvarez, she was unconscious when she slipped beneath the water.
A person can suffer brain damage and death by drowning if they are submerged after breathing in water for 4 to 6 minutes without resuscitation, according to the National Institutes of Health, Healthline reported.