A 17-year-old Cuban teenager was on the verge of losing his life last Sunday at San Benito beach in Tapachula, Mexico, after being swept out to sea by a strong rip current while he was at a spot known as "The Surfer's Place."
The young man, identified as Adrián Francisco «N», was rescued thanks to the quick intervention of municipal lifeguards and a member of the Navy, who managed to pull him from the water and bring him to safety, according to a report from Diario del Sur.
According to the Municipal Police of Tapachula, the incident occurred around noon when members of the lifeguard team assigned to the Municipal Secretariat of Public Safety and Citizen Protection were conducting surveillance in the area.
A woman at the beach noticed that the teenager was struggling to return to the shore and alerted the rescuers upon seeing him being swept away by the current, local media reported.
The lifeguards immediately entered the sea and, with the support of a member of the Navy, managed to reach the young man. The operation concluded with his rescue in a rocky area near the shore.
After receiving first aid, Adrián was reported to be stable. His family, led by his mother, Desnaya Prudencia Peña, 43 years old and also of Cuban nationality, decided that he would not be transferred to a medical facility.
The episode has once again drawn attention to the risks of swimming at San Benito beach, located in the coastal area of Puerto Madero in the state of Chiapas, which is known for its dangerous rip currents.
The turbulence caused by the breakwater can create strong currents capable of dragging swimmers out to sea. This danger has previously led authorities to restrict access to the water: in 2012, municipal Civil Protection even closed the beach to swimmers due to the prevailing conditions.
In April of this year, another young man had to be rescued after being swept away by a strong marine current at the same beach. On that occasion, municipal lifeguards and members of the Navy Secretariat also participated.
Sunday's outing was particularly dangerous along that coastline. Just an hour before the rescue of the Cuban teenager, three other minors had been assisted near the palapa known as "El Pelón."
Naomi, 13 years old; Carlos Humberto, 15; and Elías Uriel, also 13, were rescued with the help of paramedics from Civil Protection and members of the Mexican Navy. All three were reported to be stable.
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