Off the coast of California's Catalina Island, scuba diver Pablo Avila suddenly lost consciousness in the water. His friends swam over and tried to rescue him, but they were having difficulty getting him out of the water.

That's when the mermaids showed up to help.

One of Avila's friends, Javier Claramunt said,

We're pulling him, and we're getting a little winded and a little tired out and then out of nowhere, a bunch of mermaids show up.

That's right: Women from the Professional Association of Diving Instructors Advanced Mermaid Program were training with their diving fins nearby when they realized the diver was in trouble.

According to mermaid-in-training Elaina Thomas, the group was practicing the protocol for rescuing another mermaid when they saw the men struggling. That's when they swam over and helped take Avila's gear off and administered mouth to mouth.

The mermaids then towed him back to the shore where paramedics were waiting.

Avila had an air embolism, but he is recuperating well, and now he has a good story about how he kissed a mermaid too.