Costa del Sol lifeguard 'paw patrol' grabs international attention: even CNN is talking about it

At the age of 45, Miguel Sánchez-Merenciano from Albacete has been surrounded by dogs for almost three decades. A professional dog trainer, technician and lifeguard trainer, he specialises in canine water rescue units. After trying out the service for the first time on the eastern Costa del Sol beaches of Torre del Mar last summer, this year he has moved his centre of operations to Torrox, where he has joined the surveillance and lifeguarding of the beaches with his five active dogs - four labradors and a king poodle. The canine device has aroused great international media interest, with coverage on CNN, CBC or Sky News.

As Sánchez-Merenciano told SUR, his dogs assist in the pulling and recovery stage of the rescue. This summer, from 11.30am to 8.30pm on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, he will be monitoring the nine kilometres along the Torrox coastline.

Jokingly, Sánchez-Merenciano said that there are people who approach him to warn that dogs are not allowed on the beach. However, a new regulation has been allowing the presence of rescue dogs as of last year.

Brown, Nancy and their offspring Milka and Nutella are the four labrador retrievers in the team, joined by Nilo, the king-size poodle. They are the 'paw patrol' of Torrox. "I alternate them, working with two or three dogs each day. In the hottest hours, they are in the shade, cooling off," said Sánchez-Merenciano. According to him, these dogs can tow boats weighing up to 2,200 kilos.

"A dog by itself is not capable of making a decision during a rescue, so the effort is guided, like a game: first, I approach the victim and when I am at a certain distance, I throw an object, calling the dog to help me pull the drowning person," said Sánchez-Merenciano, highlighting that the dogs' role is to "speed up" the steps during emergency situations.

For Sánchez-Merenciano, labrador retrievers "are the best breed in the world" when it comes to assisting people with disabilities and those who find themselves in emergency situations. However, he has also trained other breeds such as Newfoundlands (like his 'Queen', which he has now retired) or poodles like Nilo - the latest addition to the four-legged rescue team.

According to Sánchez-Merenciano, poodles have a long history with water. Originally, like the vast majority of the world's dog breeds, they were intended for hunting and retrieving in lakes. Their dense, curly coat protects them from the cold and their name comes from the German verb 'pudeln', meaning 'to splash'.

"Nilo has gone from swimming vertically, which is incorrect, to swimming completely horizontally, with precise strokes and using his tail as a rudder to turn and adapt to the currents. He has progressed a lot and has integrated admirably into the team," said his instructor. In addition to their aquatic prowess, poodles are renowned for their high intelligence and ability to learn, making Nilo an unexpected but highly effective ally in rescue work.

Torrox town hall has launched its special summer beach surveillance campaign "by land, sea and air" - a "pioneering" initiative in Spain, as highlighted during the presentation by mayor Óscar Medina. The coastline of Torrox will have more than 40 professionals supported by vehicles, boats and, as a novelty, drones and a team of dogs specialised in water rescue. The campaign will run from Saturday, 14 June, until 14 September, between 11.30am and 8.30pm.

Medina, accompanied by the councillor for the area, Vanessa López, said that the main objective of the surveillance service on the beaches of the municipality of Torrox is to "act against any risk, implementing appropriate preventive and executive measures to ensure an effective response to any eventuality or risk". The mayor said that he is "especially proud that Torrox has been the first municipality in Spain to tender for the service dogs specialised in aquatic rescue". The dogs are trained by Miguel Sánchez-Merenciano from Global K9 Instructor. "The municipality with the best climate in Europe has one of the best beach surveillance and rescue services in Europe," stated the mayor.

Rosario Vega, administrator of Provita Sociedad Cooperativa Madrileña - the company awarded the service for more than 502,000 euros - said that the service will be made up of a coordinator, 18 lifeguards with special qualifications that exceed those required for swimming pools, three more lifeguards with additional qualifications as emergency health technicians, two jet ski skippers also newly incorporated and five people with health qualifications - nurses or clinical assistants. In addition, there will be five beach informers in July and August.

In addition, on weekends, the service will have a rescue drone equipped with floats and a second additional one to carry out control rounds and warn via public address system.

In addition, assistance to people with disabilities has been extended and improved with an amphibious chair, two walking frames and two pairs of crutches with the additional support of Civil Protection volunteers. In terms of material resources, two pickup trucks, a van and two jet skis have been incorporated. Lifeguards on duty this summer also hold an additional certification in natural environments. The surveillance watch towers have been distributed across eight beaches within the coastal municipality of Torrox.

More than 300 people took part last weekend in the open selection process for all the staff of the beach surveillance operation carried out by Provita, in the presence of several councillors from the Torrox town hall and members of the Local Police and civil protection volunteers.