Too good to be true? It may sound like a fairytale or like something out of a Disney movie, but the unbelievable moment a scuba diver was rescued by a group of “mermaids” was caught on camera.
Pablo Avila was scuba diving off California’s Catalina Island when he suddenly lost consciousness while in the water.
His friends immediately went into action and swam over to rescue him. As they were struggling to help Avila, they found themselves surrounded by what appeared to be mermaids.
Avila’s friend, Javier Claramunt, recalled to Fox 11, “We’re pulling him, and we’re getting a little winded and a little tired out and then out of nowhere, a bunch of mermaids show up.”
Although the women did in fact have mermaid tails, they were actually wearing diving fins while training for the Professional Association of Diving Instructors Advanced Mermaid Program.
As soon as the mermaid in training realized the diver was in trouble, they rushed in to do exactly what they were training for.
As they swam over to the unconscious Avila, the group went into action and helped take Avila’s gear off and get him to shore all while giving him mouth-to-mouth.
As reported by the New York Post,
According to mermaid-in-training Elaina Thomas, the group was practicing the protocol for rescuing another mermaid when they noticed the man struggling and coughing foam, which she noted was a sign of an air embolism and put into action what she’d learned.
Thomas said, “It’s not just blowing bubbles. It’s hard work, but it’s worth it!”
The mermaid program called, PADI not only helps people fulfill their childhood fantasies of becoming a mermaid, but they also continue to try and protect the incredible underwater world. The group continues to introduce recycled products into their women-owned business and 10% of all proceeds are donated to marine conservation.
According to Fox 11, Avila has recovered and is doing well.
