A drowning Senegalese boy who was rescued by an off-duty lifeguard said to the Spanish woman who battled the currents to reach him: “I thought you were not going to save me because I am black”.
According to reports, lifeguard Macarena Cabrujo had just finished her shift at the Can Pere Antoni Beach in Palma on the island of Majorca located in the eastern Spanish region of the Balearic Islands when the 10-year-old boy got into trouble in the sea.
She told local media that she saw the youngster struggling in the water about 200 metres (656 feet) from the shore.
Cabrujo told a beachgoer to call the emergency services as she bravely waded into the choppy waters without her equipment, according to reports.
The Spanish lifeguard said: “When I caught up to him, he could not handle it anymore and was sinking under the waves. I grabbed him and got his head above water.”
As the currents were so strong, Macarena decided to swim to a nearby buoy and wait for help to arrive, keeping the Senegalese boy calm the whole time.
During this moment, Macarena said that the boy told her: “I thought you were not going to save me because I am black.”
According to reports, they were together in the sea for 15 minutes until a boat arrived, however the currents were too strong to bring them on board so they were dragged to shore with a ring buoy.
Macarena said: “I gave him a huge hug and smothered him with kisses. I have never been in a situation like that before.”
The youngster was then reportedly taken to hospital for medical checks and reports state he was “out of danger”.
To find out more about the author, editor or agency that supplied this story – please click below.
Story By: Juan Mayes, Sub-Editor: Alex Cope, Agency: Central European News
The Ananova page is created by and dedicated to professional, independent freelance journalists. It is a place for us to showcase our work. When our news is sold to our media partners, we will include the link here.
