During the world aquatics championships in Hungary in June, artistic swimmer Anita Alvarez fainted during her routine.
In shocking images, the 25-year-old American was seen sinking towards the bottom of the pool, apparently unconscious, after she completed her solo free routine. Her coach Andrea Fuentes quickly jumped into the water, fully clothed, to save the swimmer. She pulled Alvarez towards the surface of the water and dragged her to the edge of the pool with a man’s help.
Alvarez later said that she felt like she was giving a great performance; however, she started to feel numbness in her fingers, and then everything went black. The incident was the second time that Alvarez’s coach saved her after she fainted in the water. Last year, Fuentes rescued her at an Olympic qualifying event in Spain.