Real-Life Mermaids Rescued a Group of Scuba Divers in Distress

As the saying goes, reality can sometimes be stranger than fiction. It can resemble fantasy, comedy, science-fiction scenarios or even feature mythical creatures that we thought existed only in fairy tales. Such is the experience of a group of divers recently saved by brave and gorgeous mermaids. It sure sounds like a scene from a Disney film, but it’s true — and the moment of rescue was caught on camera.

When Joshua Claramunt went diving off the coast of Santa Catalina Island near California with his father and his father’s best friend, Pablo Avila, the group encountered unexpected trouble when Avila suddenly lost consciousness.

Those who have tried this challenging sport know how risky this situation can be. Josh was distraught and started panicking. He says that Pablo’s eyes were dilated, and he gasped for breath. The men struggled to get him out to safety and started yelling for help when 3 mermaids surrounded them.

The mermaids, Elle Jimenez, Elaina Garcia, and Great Chin Burger, said they started swimming toward the distressed divers to offer help immediately after hearing Claramunt cry for help. One of them says she even decided to give mouth-to-mouth to the man struggling for breath because he was in a dire situation.

At one point, a panicked Claramunt started hyperventilating, but luckily, one of the mermaids was already there to calm him down, while the third mermaid helped everyone swim back to the shore. ’’My body went into autopilot, rescue mode,’’ she says.

The distressed group of divers didn’t immediately realize that these beautiful superheroes were professional swimmers and a part of PADI, the Professional Association of Diving Instructors. On that fateful day, the women were attending an advanced mermaid rescue course when they heard the cries for help.

Although their costumes may remind us of Disney characters, these women are highly experienced scuba divers and diving instructors: ’’I think it’s important to know the mermaids are athletes, we are well trained, and we practice," one of the mermaids explains.

The women involved in the rescue won a recognition award and a special “thank you” letter from the PADI CEO. With the popularity of this unusual hobby being on the rise recently and more and more mermaid schools beginning to emerge, you shouldn’t be surprised if you encounter one of these beautiful ’’creatures’’ next time you hit the beach.

Would you try taking mermaid lessons, and do you think you’d be good at it?