Swimmer's Coach Leaps Into Pool To Save Her Life After She Faints At World Championships

Lifeguards at the event are said to have failed to respond immediately, prompting Alvarez's coach, Andrea Fuentes, to jump in the pool while fully clothed.

The coach continued (translated): "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."

Images of the dramatic scene were captured by AFP photographer Oli Scarff, who documented Alvarez sinking in the pool before Fuentes brought her to the surface.

Another swimmer assisted Fuentes in taking Alvarez to the edge of the pool, after which she was lifted out of the water and put on to a stretcher to receive medical attention.

The coach later announced plans for the swimmer to 'rest all day' on Thursday, saying in a statement: "The doctors checked all vitals and everything is normal: heart rate, oxygen, sugar levels, blood pressure, etc … all is okay."

"We sometimes forget that this happens in other high-endurance sports. We all have seen images where some athletes don't make it to the finish line and others help them to get there," Fuentes continued.

"Our sport is no different than others, just in a pool, we push through limits and sometimes we find them. Anita feels good now and the doctors also say she is okay. Tomorrow she will rest all day and will decide with the doctor if she can swim free team finals or not. Thank you for all of your well wishes for Anita." 

Alvarez previously lost consciousness at the end of a routine during an Olympic qualification event in June 2021, when Fuentes again dived in to rescue her.

The swimmer ended up coming in seventh place on Wednesday with a score of 87.6333.