Lifeguard saves a British family from drowning at Grandes Playas
The lifeguard, who works for the IBE lifeguard team in La Oliva, ran 150 metres and kept four people afloat. One of them, a child whose heart rate was racing when they reached shore, was taken to Fuerteventura General Hospital, according to witnesses in the area.
It was just after 2.30pm this Thursday when a lifeguard at watchtower 3 on Grandes Playas de Corralejo, in La Oliva, spotted the situation every water-rescue professional fears: four people struggling to stay afloat, growing increasingly tired and far from shore.
They were a British family who, it later emerged, had no idea what the flags flying at the time meant: swimming was restricted in the area.
With no time to think, the lifeguard ran across the sand, covering the roughly 150 metres between his post and the exact spot where the panicked family was in seconds.
The lifeguard entered the water alone, without colleagues to support him, and managed to keep all four swimmers afloat for several minutes while waiting for reinforcements.
The alert immediately triggered the emergency protocol. A water-rescue vehicle went to the scene with two more lifeguards on board. They joined the first lifeguard to complete the rescue and bring all four family members safely out of the water.
But the ordeal did not end on the shore.
When they checked the family’s vital signs, the team found that one of the children had a heart rate of more than 120 beats per minute and an oxygen saturation level of 95%. The readings prompted the lifeguards to arrange medical transport without delay.
An ambulance took the child, under medical supervision, to the Corralejo Medical Centre, where they remained under observation.
Sources from the lifeguard service praised the actions of the professional at tower 3, whose quick reaction and physical stamina were crucial in preventing a tragedy. “Without his intervention, the outcome could have been very different,” the service said.
The incident has once again drawn attention to a recurring problem on the Canary Islands’ tourist beaches: visitors, especially those from abroad, often do not understand the flag system used to regulate swimming.
The beach surveillance service says multilingual information signs need to be strengthened to prevent another misunderstanding from putting lives at risk.
The team also praised the courage and skill of their colleague, who, at 55, was able to save the British family thanks to the rigorous training he does every day to stay in good shape.
Source: La Voz de Fuerteventura