Portuguese president rescues two women stranded at sea

The Portuguese president helped two women when their boat capsized due to high waves.

On Saturday, 71-year-old President Marcelo Rebello de Souza helped the women on Algarve Beach and can be seen swimming towards them in a photo.

The president later told reporters that the women were trapped in large waves coming from a nearby beach.

President Rebello de Souza is currently on holiday in Algarve to promote tourism there.

Portugal's economy is heavily dependent on tourism, which has been severely affected by the coronavirus.

The video footage shows the president swimming in the sea to help the women. Another man was already there trying to straighten his little boat. Another man on a jet ski helped the two women reach the shore.

The president then told reporters that the two women had come from the other shore with strong waves.

Speaking to local media, the president added, "Because there were strong waves coming from the west, and these waves were so strong that they both swept away." Her stomach was full of water, so she could neither swim nor straighten her boat.

The president said another "patriot" on the jet ski helped him.

He warned that future women should be careful.

According to broadcaster 20 Mentos, the president is spending his holidays in different parts of the country to promote tourism.

Portugal is not on the list of countries exempted from quarantine by the British government.

Portugal is very popular among British tourists, with around three million tourists leaving the UK each year.