Anita Alvarez saved by coach after fainting in the water mid-routine

Team USA synchronised swimmer Anita Alvarez was saved from drowning for the second time after the gallant actions of her coach Andrea Fuentes at the 2022 FINA World Aquatics Championships in Budapest on Wednesday.

The four-time Olympic medallist was competing in the final of the woman’s solo free event when she startingly blacked out and plummeted to the depths of the sizeable competition pool near the end of her swim.

Bizarrely, Alvarez has been the victim of such an issue before, passing out in an Olympic qualifying contest in Barcelona on June 13 last year, with Fuentes the saviour again.

With the distressing occurrence initially evading the attention of those in attendance, Fuentes dived in and succeeded in propelling herself off the foot of the pool with Alvarez in tow, receiving the aid of an unnamed male swimmer in dragging her out of the water to receive swift medical attention.

The swimmer quickly regained consciousness after the efficient work of the medical personnel and explained that she suffered a momentary lapse but otherwise felt fine.

Fuentes said: “It was a big scare. 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.”

The heroic coach later provided an update on the situation, reassuring concerned supporters that Alvarez was set to make a full recovery.

Rapid rescue.@AFP photographers Oli Scarff and Peter Kohalmi capture the dramatic rescue of USA's Anita Alvarez from the bottom of the pool when she fainted during the women's solo free artistic swimming finals at the Budapest 2022 World Aquatics Championships pic.twitter.com/8Y0wo6lSUn

“Anita is okay, the doctors checked all vitals, and everything is normal;