Costa del Sol off-duty police officer saves six-year-old boy from choking to death on an olive

An off-duty Guardia Civil officer saved the life of a six-year-old boy who was choking on an olive at a beach in the coastal town of Torre del Mar on Saturday.

The incident occurred at around 2.40pm near the Club Náutico, an area of the coast that is very popular with bathers on summer weekends.

The officer was at the beach with his wife, who first noticed a tense situation a few metres from them. "Something's going on over there," she told him.

The child was with his mother and two siblings. He started choking on an olive while eating under the parasol. Part of the olive lodged in his airway, causing him to start choking.

The scene was incredibly distressing. The little boy clutched his neck, while several people nearby tried to help him by patting him on the back. His mother, visibly distraught, cried for help as the child struggled to breathe normally. His sister wept uncontrollably.

The Guardia Civil officer ran and immediately picked the boy up, placed him face down on his arms and began performing the Heimlich manoeuvre.

The procedure lasted for about five minutes. Bathers gathered around and waited until the boy coughed up a piece of olive and began to breathe more easily.

During the operation, the child swallowed the olive pit. To rule out any possible internal damage or subsequent complications, medical services took him to the Axarquía hospital for a thorough evaluation.

At the emergency department, the child underwent several tests to ensure he had no aesophageal damage or other injuries. Doctors eventually confirmed he was in good condition and discharged him.

The family expressed their gratitude to all the professionals who attended to the little boy, especially the off-duty Guardia Civil officer, whose quick response was crucial in preventing a tragedy.

A similar accident occurred in Malaga's Churriana district on 17 May, when two Local Police officers saved the life of an elderly man in a wheelchair who was choking on a piece of ham during a dinner organised for the residents of a nursing home.

Access the latest 112 emergency and rescue news hub