Surfboarding cop saves drowning couple off Costa del Sol beach

AN OFF-DUTY member of the National Police has saved a drowning couple off a beach in Malaga city.

Francis Galvez told Spanish media he had been surfing off Playa de la Misercordia for around 20 minutes before the strong undertow proved too much and he went in to rest.

On shore, he said he soon noticed a couple in the water, being dragged further and further out to sea.  He explained: “Every time I looked, they were more offshore, I had my eye on them from the beginning.”

He added: “Instinctively I got closer to them until I saw that the man was signalling and calling for help. I paddled in his direction, taking advantage of the current, until I reached them.”

Galvez said the three of them all worked together using his surfboard to get back to land.  He explained: “In these circumstances the swimmer tends to swim towards the shore, but these currents are circular, you have to go out until the undertow is weaker and then swim parallel to the shore until you are out of the danger zone.”

He added: “I thought the couple would need health care, and I was having a lot of difficulties … it was a borderline situation.” As the three approached the shore Galvez said he called to his friend to alert the emergency services but after arriving safely on the shore realised it was not necessary.

The police officer said: “It was a very big scare, if I had not got on the surfboard they would have drowned.”