American artistic swimmer Anita Alvarez was dramatically rescued by her coach after fainting while competing at the World Aquatics Championships in Budapest.
Alvarez, 25, completed her routine in the solo free final on Wednesday night before losing consciousness and sinking to the bottom of the pool.
Andrea Fuentes, Alvarez's coach, jumped into the water in a t-shirt and shorts to rescue Alvarez "because the lifeguards weren't doing it," she told Spanish news outlet Marca.
Dramatic photos of the rescue, both underwater and reactions on the pool deck, have now been posted to social media.
"I was scared because I saw she wasn't breathing, but now she is doing very well," Fuentes said, per Marca. "I said things weren't right, I was shouting at the lifeguards to get into the water, but they didn't catch what I said or they didn't understand. I went as quickly as I could, as if it were an Olympic final."
Fuentes also published an update on Alvarez's condition to Instagram:
"Anita is okay — 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. Marathon, cycling, cross country… we all have seen images where some athletes don't make it to the finish line and others help them to get there," she wrote in the caption alongside a picture of Alvarez.
"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," she continued, adding that Alvarez will discuss with the doctors if she can continue to compete in an upcoming team event.
