Seeking relief from the scorching heat, a 47-year-old Indian man and his four-year-old nephew drowned in the Adda River. The uncle died immediately after diving into the river to save his brother and the child; the child, rescued in critical condition and transported by air ambulance to the Papa Giovanni XXIII Hospital in Bergamo, succumbed to his injuries at the hospital despite resuscitation efforts on site and during transport.
The tragedy occurred around 12:30 p.m. in an area known as Golfo Rivolta, on the border between Rivolta d'Adda and Truccazzano, in a river clearing where the Crema side faces the Milan side. This is a popular spot during the summer months, but it harbors treacherous currents and an uneven riverbed.
According to the Carabinieri's reconstruction, the entire family was there. The father, a 45-year-old resident of Rivolta d'Adda, was the first to enter the water. Shortly thereafter, his young son joined him, almost immediately finding himself in serious difficulty. It was at that point that the 45-year-old's brother, a resident of Portugal who had come to Italy for a few days' vacation with his family, jumped into the river without hesitation. He managed to reach his brother and the child, allowing them to return to shore, but the current swept him away, killing him, presumably in part due to the strain.
When the alarm was raised, the Carabinieri from Rivolta and the Pioltello Company, the firefighters with the diving units from Milan, ambulances, medical cars, and two medical helicopters from Milan and Como respectively arrived on the scene.
The operations immediately proved complicated: the area where the accident occurred is particularly inaccessible and can only be reached by a long walk. The 47-year-old's body was located and recovered approximately 300 meters downstream from where he had been seen disappearing, on the bank that falls within the metropolitan city of Milan. There was nothing more that could be done for him. The child, however, was recovered in critical condition. Paramedics continued extensive CPR efforts on site and during the air ambulance flight to the hospital. However, all attempts were in vain: around 2:30 PM, doctors pronounced him dead.
(Unioneonline)
