A man stranded out at sea was saved thanks to a young Algerian and a Legionnaire

A sergeant and a young Algerian were the saviours of a man stuck out at sea hanging onto a buoy for his life.

On Sunday, August 11, around 3 pm, alarms were set off on a beach in Almeria after a man was seen clinging to a buoy, calling for help.

An Algerian sunbather and Sergeant spot the man holding the buoy yelling for help

While sunbathing on the beach, located near the mouth of the Andarax River, a young Algerian boy heard the cries for help, along with Sergeant Requeno of the Legion and her husband, who then alerted the emergency services. 

The officer, now out of commission, went one step further and, with no hesitation, dived into the waters to try and reach the stranded swimmer. 

Emergency Services and authorities respond to the alert calls

After receiving the call, the Emergency Coordination Centre transmitted the warning to the rescue services and the police authorities leading to the arrival of a patrol unit, the beach rescue service and a Maritime Rescue unit to the beach. 

The man stuck on the buoy was quickly assisted by a Salvamento Maritimo jet ski and taken to a safe place on the beach to receive the necessary care, before taking him to Torrecardenas University Hospital. 

The onlookers may have been the reason the man survived

The timely intervention from both the Algerian sunbather and the Sergeant with her husband made the difference between this incident becoming a tragedy. The legionnaire showed great courage and strength in her intuitive response to the situation, braving the waters to save the drowning man.

Thanks to the onlookers and the authorities, the whole ordeal ended without any major consequences.

According to sources involved in the rescue operation, the man, of Portuguese nationality, had shown signs of intoxication, however, nothing is confirmed.

For more local news and events in the Almeria province click here.