Dramatic sea rescue exercise in Campello

THE situation on the Muchavista beach in Campello wasn’t as bad as it looked. Six people have died from drowning in Alicante Province since June but this time the danger was not real.  

The group of lifeguards and two rescue boats who rushed to save three victims were merely carrying out a dummy rescue of three swimmers who, according to the storyline, ignored signs warning of strong currents. 

The three exhausted swimmers were supposedly swept away and one suffered a heart attack. At this point established procedures took over as boats from the beach’s lifesaving service and Local Police located the swimmers and returned them to the shore.  A defibrillator was used on the supposed heart attack victim who was transferred to a waiting ambulance, to applause from no-longer worried onlookers who by then realised that they were not witnessing a genuine drama.