By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2025-01-06 20:41:46 | Updated at 2025-01-08 03:07:11
1 day ago
A day in the sun and surf turned violent when a beachgoer got into a brawl with lifeguards in Argentina on Sunday after being told he couldn't get in the water.
A man, identified in video of the incident as Gonzalo, was warned by a fellow beachgoer about the dangers of entering an area at Playa Union in Chubut that is prohibited to swimmers due to the presence of vessels, local news outlets reported.
The 60-year-old can be seen talking to one lifeguard while another stood aside and called him a 'jerk.'
He then charged toward the mouthy lifeguard and shoved the first one as all hell broke loose.
A woman can be heard in the background yelling at them to 'stop' as both lifeguards took turns hitting the man.
The lifeguard who he first approached in the video then delivered a blow that sent him face first into the sand.
He quickly stood up and went toe-to-toe with both lifeguards before bystanders intervened.
A woman who identified herself as Gonzalo's daughter told Tu Lugar FM radio that he was attempting to reach his family on the other side of the beach swimming.
The man was warned about the dangers of entering an area at Playa Union in Chubut that is prohibited to swimmers due to the presence of vessels
All hell broke loose when the lifeguard pounced on the beachgoer, sending him tumbling to the ground
She claimed that one of the lifeguards whistled at her father and used foul language while instructing him to return to shore.
'He heard the whistle, but one of the lifeguards told him in a very bad way, "you f*** get out of the water, we are calling you" and they took him out' she said.
'They tried to challenge him as if he were a little boy, and he is a 60-year-old man. Another lifeguard got in and started calling him "fat, unpresentable."'
She accused the lifeguards of being untrained and said they were responsible for sparking the wild melee.
'I don't know who instructed the lifeguards to disrespect such a big person like that,' the daughter said.
'The fight started because of the lifeguards' provocations.'
Luis Torres, who oversees the lifeguards at the beach, told the radio station that the area the is limited to 'water sports' and has been known to cause problems with beachgoers who fail to follow safety measures.
He did acknowledge that both lifeguards were wrong in how they handled the incident.
The man argues with a lifeguard at Union Beach in Rawson, a city in the southern Argentine province of Chubut
'The lifeguards went to tell the man that it was dangerous, but he did not want to understand," Torres said.
'They spoke in a bad way, even the rescuer, and it came to something that should not be like this, that is wrong.'
The video drew the attention of Chubut Governor Ignacio Torres, who announced via X on Monday that both lifeguards, who were employed by the city of Rawson, had been fired and will be facing criminal charges.
'In Chubut we will never tolerate this type of behavior again, and even less so from those who have the responsibility of ensuring the safety of our neighbors and the obligation to always maintain exemplary conduct towards all Chubut citizens,' the governor said.
