Seeing a mythical creature while out in the ocean can be a jarring experience for most. For a scuba diver, the sight of mermaids turned out to be a lifesaving encounter.
While scuba diving near Catalina Island, off San Diego, California, Pablo Avila was having trouble with his breathing equipment. He was luckily rescued by a group of mermaids. While that may sound out of this world, in reality, Avila was a group of local female students taking the advanced PADI mermaid rescue course.
“It was something out of a fairy tale, being saved by a mermaid,” Avila’s dive buddy, Javier Claramunt, said.
Elaina Marie Garcia was the leader of the rescuer group. She explained that they had actually been practicing their life-saving techniques when they spotted Avila floating at sea. The diver had lost consciousness by that point and most likely would not have survived if the mermaids hadn’t been there to help.
After reaching Avila, the mermaid group stripped off the diver’s gear and gave him mouth-to-mouth before hauling him back to nearby Casino Point. There, Avila was placed into a decompression chamber, where he was slowly restored back to health.
Claramunt had been with Avila at the time but he and a fellow diver were having difficulties with pulling the unconscious man back to shore. “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,” Claramunt said.
Swimming wearing a mermaid tail has become a popular trend across the United States and other parts of the world over the last few years.