Puerto Vallarta, Mexico – In a heartwarming display of compassion and community spirit, members of the Lifeguard Corps of the Civil Protection and Fire Department of Puerto Vallarta made the dream of Don Cándido Montaño Madero, a 68-year-old local resident battling cancer and physical disability, come true. On Tuesday, Don Cándido, with the assistance of an amphibious chair provided by the municipal department, was able to return to the sea at Playa Camarones, a cherished pastime he had missed for years.
The touching reunion with the ocean was facilitated through the determined efforts of Beatriz González Padilla, a close family friend. Observing the lengths to which Don Cándido’s children were going to fulfill their father’s wish, Beatriz reached out to Mario Ramírez, the head of the lifeguard area, for support. She described how Don Cándido’s children had been taking him to the Rosita Hotel jetty, where they would place him in a plastic chair and pour buckets of seawater over him to simulate the feeling of swimming—a gesture that deeply moved her.
“I noticed that his children bring him to the jetty and bathe him with buckets so that he can feel the seawater. I was very moved, and that is why I decided to make this request,” Beatriz explained in her heartfelt message to the authorities.
Responding swiftly, Mario Ramírez, following the directives of the head of Civil Protection and Firefighters, Gerardo Alonzo Castillón Andrade, arranged for the use of an amphibious chair that enabled Don Cándido to once again immerse himself in the sea. The lifeguards played a crucial role in making this emotional moment possible, ensuring Don Cándido could safely enjoy the water.
The experience was made even more poignant by the presence of Don Cándido’s wife, Paula Ulloa Rodríguez, and his son, Juan Pablo Montoya Ulloa, a prominent local athlete and former professional footballer. Witnessing Don Cándido’s return to the sea, his family was overcome with emotion, shedding tears of joy as they saw him reconnect with the ocean, a place that had brought him so much happiness in the past.
Don Cándido Montaño Madero is a well-loved figure in the Benito Juárez (El Remance) neighborhood of Puerto Vallarta, where he is respected and cherished by his neighbors. His illness, which has left him partially immobilized, has prevented him from partaking in activities that were once integral to his life.
This act of kindness by the Puerto Vallarta lifeguards not only fulfilled a heartfelt wish but also exemplified the power of community and empathy. It was a moment that will be remembered by all who witnessed it, a testament to the enduring spirit of care and solidarity that defines Puerto Vallarta.
