The lifeguard goes to drink a glass of water, sanctioned by the Coast Guard with a report of 1,032 euros. The attempt to justify what appears in the report as “abandonment of the station” was useless.

Nicola Diana, 25, lifeguard of the “Penelope” company that manages the Maladroxia bathhouse, was sanctioned for having abandoned his checkpoint.

«He was drinking a glass of water at the bar, 10 meters from the station - says the owner Giancarlo Melargo - after a hot day, that a worker cannot be absent for two minutes to drink water, it seems absurd. Controls are welcome, but I do not agree with this repressive action which has nothing educational and affects the family budget of those who work for a living. If it had been negligence, the first to intervene, it would have been me. Instead, he worked all day and, at 6pm, when the Coast Guard patrol arrived, he was back there drinking some water. We are evaluating the possibility of having him assisted by a lawyer to challenge the report which in any case I will pay ».

The Coast Guard has a completely different opinion, underlining the importance of prevention: "It is a failure to comply with the provisions of the ordinance that regulates bathing - says ship lieutenant Marco Musmeci - the lifeguards know very well that one should never leave the control post. The activity of the private individual is not covered by this detected infringement. The action is done to a preventive measure, but precisely to prevent accidents of any nature from happening at sea ». (sg)