American coach Andrea Fuentes jumps straight into the water to rescue Alvarez. [AFP = 연합뉴스]American female water ballet player Anita Alvarez, 26, fainted in the water after a game. He managed to save her life with the help of a coach who quickly recognized the situation.
American athlete Anita Alvarez, 26, suddenly lost consciousness and began to sink into the water after performing in the artistic swimming solo free final of the 2022 International Swimming Federation (FINA) World Championships. U.S. national team coach Andrea Fuentes jumped into the water without delay while rescuers rushed to and fro, unaware of the emergency. The Spanish coach, Fuentes, approached Alvarez, who had sunk to the bottom of the pool, hugged him from behind, pulled him above the water surface, grabbed his chin and tilted his head to one side to secure an airway.
On the 23rd (local time), CNN and other media outlets in the US said, “American water ballet player Anita Alvarez fainted and fell into the water after finishing performing in the women’s individual free event at the 2022 World Aquatics Championships in Budapest, Hungary on the 22nd. His heroic performance saved his life.”
In the published photos and videos, Alvarez, unconscious after the game, sank into the water as it was, and lost consciousness after being rescued from the water. You can also see the crowd screaming with their mouths covered in a sudden situation.
After rescue by coach Fuentes, Alvarez was given first aid by stadium rescuers and was carried out on a stretcher.
“I sensed something was going wrong and I yelled at the rescuers to get into the water, but they didn’t seem to hear or understand me,” Fuentes told the BBC. I swam in and tried to get her to breathe. Alvarez’s chin was tightly closed, so when I tried to massage his chin, he luckily coughed and vomited water,” he said of the urgent situation at the time.
Fortunately, Alvarez is said to be recovering quickly. Alvarez’s team said in an official statement, “Anita is being treated by medical staff and is still under observation. Her condition has improved a lot and is currently resting.”
On the other hand, underwater ballet, also called synchronized swimming, is an event that digests various artistic choreography to music in the water.
[조성신 매경닷컴 기자]
[ⓒ 매일경제 & mk.co.kr, 무단전재 및 재배포 금지]
