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A harrowing near-drowning experience at a local pool in 2003 continues to resonate for a man now 34 years old, and for the family of the lifeguard who saved his life. Gastón Baldo was 11 years old on January 6, 2003, when he nearly became trapped in the pool’s filtration system.
Baldo was enjoying a summer day at the Arco Iris complex in Río Ceballos, Córdoba, with his friend, Tomás Santiago. The two were repeatedly diving from the pool’s high dive, reaching depths of 2.9 meters. According to reports, both boys were able to surface after each dive – until one attempt where only Santiago resurfaced.
Santiago’s cries alerted the on-duty lifeguard, who quickly dove into the water. He found Baldo unconscious, his left leg wedged in the pool filter’s intake. The lifeguard attempted to free the boy, but realizing he couldn’t do so alone, he secured Baldo’s airway and swam to the surface to call for help.
The dramatic rescue garnered widespread attention in national news and led to a phone call from then-President Eduardo Duhalde. Baldo even appeared on the television program Misterios y milagros with Víctor Sueiro.
Today, Baldo is a chemical engineer living in Pilar, Buenos Aires. Despite the passage of 23 years, he has no memory of the incident itself, relying on accounts from his friend, family, and especially Salvador Cristian Cataldi, the 25-year-old lifeguard who saved his life. Cataldi died two years later from cancer. Each January, as the anniversary of the rescue approaches, Baldo’s gratitude remains unwavering. “If I’m here, it’s thanks to him,” he says.
Baldo grew up in Unquillo, Córdoba, about 18 miles from the city of Córdoba, in a large family. “I’m the third of four boys and have one younger sister. I was always a very restless child,” he recalls. He remembers spending summer afternoons playing soccer with his siblings and neighborhood friends while his parents, Adriana and Jorge, worked. “A neighbor, Silvia, looked after us, and she took care of us our whole lives,” he says.
He also went to the pool, often at the Unquillo Municipal Sports Center or the UEPC camping pool. “I don’t know why, but on January 6th we decided to check out the Arco Iris pool,” he explains. “I went with my aunts and uncles, my cousins, and one of my best friends. I remember arriving in their car, taking off my sandals and shirt, and running to the water.”
That moment before the accident is the only personal memory Baldo retains. “I lost my memory. A neurologist explained to me that it’s a defense mechanism the body has in response to such a high-stress event,” he says. Everything that followed he pieced together later from those who were with him. “According to them, from when we arrived at the club until everything happened, maybe one or two hours had passed,” he says.
According to news reports from the time, the incident began around 5:30 p.m. Cataldi was telling a woman not to push her children into the pool when he received a call for help. “Everyone was yelling at me to jump in, but I wanted to know exactly what was happening. First, I observed, and then I jumped,” he told the Clarín newspaper in an interview.
After the desperate call, Cristian, known as “Cata” by everyone, dove to Baldo’s rescue. He explained that to “pull him out” of the filter trap, he positioned his legs against the side wall of the pool – at a depth of about 7.5 feet where the opening was located – crossed his arms under Baldo’s body, and pulled. But he couldn’t free him. “I gave him air through his mouth and went up to get help,” he said.
Above the surface, the lifeguard signaled to a specific person to call emergency services and asked five others to come down with him. Once submerged, they all began pulling on the boy’s body. It wasn’t enough. “That’s when I realized that if we didn’t turn off the filter, Gastón would die. But I couldn’t send anyone else. I had to do it myself, because I knew the machine,” he said.
Before surfacing, Cataldi gave Baldo air again. Amid the shouting, he jumped a fence, went down a staircase, and turned off the filter. He then dove back into the water. “Down there, I saw the men pulling and couldn’t get him out. Gastón’s leg was very swollen and was acting as a plug. I got back into the spider position, with my legs against the wall, and pulled with all my might. That’s when the opening let him go,” he explained.
Once on the surface, Cataldi performed three cycles of CPR, which, along with the work of the emergency services that transported him to the Private Hospital and the doctors at the health center, ultimately saved his life.
While he was recovering, his case became public. “There were no social media platforms at the time, but the story spread quickly. Many local and national media outlets interviewed me. I didn’t like appearing in the situation I was in,” he says. He also received a call from then-President Eduardo Duhalde, who inquired about his health. “I don’t remember exactly what he said. He asked how I was feeling and how the recovery was going,” he recalls.
Later, he participated in the television program Misterios y milagros, hosted by Víctor Sueiro. A year later, he saw Sueiro again at his home in Buenos Aires when the host invited him to share his story in more detail for one of his books. “Unlike him, I didn’t see any tunnel,” he clarifies.
Baldo says he suffered no lasting physical effects or fear of the water. “I love the pool, the sea, lakes, the river.” In fact, that same summer he went on vacation to Monte Hermoso and, although he wasn’t allowed to go into the sea, he did anyway. “I think it helped that this traumatic event was completely erased from my memory. Those who suffered the most were my loved ones,” he says. He didn’t use the bathing suit he wore on January 6, 2003, again. “They cut it up to perform the resuscitation efforts and all the maneuvers,” he says.
—After the rescue, Cristian visited you in the hospital. Did you form a bond with him?
—Yes. An incredible guy. He came to my house too. We had a very nice connection. It was short but intense. I have the best memories of him. He was very religious. He gave me a painting with a well-known story, where God speaks to a child who is about to be born and assigns him two angels, who are the parents. In his version, he included himself as the guardian angel who ends up saving me at that moment. I would like this story to be a tribute to him, to what he did, and to the beautiful person he was.
—How did you receive the news of his death?
—It was a bombshell. At the time of the rescue, I was 11 years old and he was 25. To me, he was an adult. Now, looking back, I think he was just a kid. He was a very active person. I believe he was about to graduate as a Physical Education teacher. Later, he was diagnosed with cancer. He went through a very complicated process, which I witnessed in part because we had created a connection and stayed in touch. Unfortunately, he died at the end of 2005.
—Was there any claim or legal action against the club?
—No. At first, my parents were very upset. They were approached by a lawyer because there were many irregularities: for starters, the filtration system where my leg got stuck didn’t have a grate. Later, I asked my dad and he told me they decided not to file a lawsuit to avoid exposing me.
—With time and reading the news from then, do you see what happened to you differently?
—When I think about it and tell it, I become reflective. I believe it wasn’t my time. That something said, “Not yet.” That I was going to cross paths with another person to prevent that path from being cut short before time. And that’s why I feel I have to make the most of it. Every time life gets difficult, this event comes to mind.
