An outraged father punched a lifeguard in the face after he saved his toddler from drowning.
The violent incident occurred on February 7 on the beach of Desembocadura in Punta del Este, an exclusive vacation spot in Uruguay.
The lifeguard had reportedly warned the three-year-old's mother that the child was entering a dangerous zone and couldn't be left alone due to the strong rip currents.
However, the mother paid no attention to the warning and instead went to look for her husband, who was a few meters away from the shore.
Just moments later, the child was swept away by the dangerous currents. The lifeguard quickly intervened, getting the toddler back to safety on the shore.
Image credits: Ant Armada/Pexels (Not the actual photo)
After the rescue, the lifeguard reiterated to the parents that, had he not intervened, the boy would have likely drowned.
He also reminded the mother that he had sounded the alarm earlier, but she had ignored his warnings.
This remark enraged the father, who punched the man who had saved his child in the face, hitting his jaw and shouting, "This is what you're paid to do!"
Image credits: Bored Panda
"In my 18 years of working as a lifeguard, this is the first time a parent has physically assaulted me," said the lifeguard, who chose not to reveal his name, in an interview with Bored Panda.
"In these situations, we reprimand the parents loudly and clearly so that other parents on the beach can hear. We send a collective message."
This summer season at the Uruguayan vacation spot, 90% of rescued swimmers were underage, the lifeguard shared.
The violent incident took place in Punta del Este, an exclusive vacation spot in Uruguay
Image credits: Bored Panda
He added: "It's becoming increasingly common for us to intervene to save children. Parents are too busy staring at their phones and sunbathing and neglect their kids. Not all of them, but many.
"We try to avoid these situations by using different elements, such as red flags and whistles, but sadly, they keep occurring."
Image credits: Intendencia Maldonado
Karina, another lifeguard who witnessed the incident, said she had never seen anything like it. "We still don't understand the father's reaction. He was really aggressiveâfirst verbally and then physically.Â
"In my 18 years of working as a lifeguard, this is the first time a parent has physically assaulted me," the victim told Bored Panda
Image credits: Intendencia Maldonado
"The child was three years old and didn't know how to swim. As soon as he reached the current zone, he was submerged underwater. He could have died," she shared with Bored Panda.
According to the Montevideo Portal, the tourist, who came from the neighboring country of Argentina, will publicly apologize to the lifeguard.
The victim has since requested the dismissal of his complaint regarding the incident.
Though the father also offered a sum of money as compensation, the lifeguard rejected it.
Image credits: Bored Panda
The tourist's reaction sparked widespread criticism on social media, with one Redditor writing, "These kids need to be taken away from parents like that. Nothing good can grow next to rotten roots."
"If they had drowned, they would surely say it was the guy's fault," a third pointed out.
"I worked in customer service for so long that I already know that type of person," a separate netizen shared. "You can't really yell at those people (because they do what they want), and even when they are wrong, they get angry."
People agreed that the tourist should face legal consequences for his actions
