Olympic lifeguard jumps in the water to retrieve Emma Weber’s swimming cap during break in proceedings

A staff member at Paris La Défense Arena has saved the day during a break in the Olympic swimming proceedings.

A race on Sunday night (AEST) was delayed when officials spotted a stray object at the bottom of the pool near the blocks.

Competitors put their warm-up jackets back on as the stadium waited patiently for something to be done.

That’s when the hero of the moment emerged: a random lifeguard in some funky swimming trunks.

The man jumped into the pool, to the raucous cheers of the Parisian crowd, and dived down to retrieve what was discovered to be a lost swimming cap.

It belonged to American Emma Weber, who obviously hadn’t realised it was missing. Not at least until she was long gone, anyway.

The Olympics official who saved the day emerged from the pool with the cap and waved it to the appreciative crowd, who saw the humour in the novel moment.

“That was an Olympic moment,” one commentator laughed.

Olympics reporter Devin Heroux said the man wants to remain anonymous.

“I’ve confirmed who jumped into the water to get the swimming cap. It was a lifeguard in a speedo,” Heroux said.

“He does not want to be named. Not all heroes wear capes. Or much at all.”

An American commentator asked: “Is Emma going to let him keep the cap? That’s the question.”

Her co-commentator added: “Does that guy get a name? ‘The Cap Catcher’?”

Fans on social media loved it as much as the French crowd did.

“It’s said ‘not all heroes wear capes’,” one said.

“#BobtheCapCatcher is the hero that barely wears anything. My man deserves Olympics gold for walking out with the dad bod and diving in the pool to get a swimmer’s cap.

“Best moment of the Games so far in my book.”