Peruvian man drowns after breaking into Milan public pool at night; three friends investigated for failure to rescue
A 28-year-old Peruvian man died after scaling a fence to swim in a shuttered public pool in Milan. Three companions who watched him go under and fled without intervening are now under investigation for failure to rescue.
The incident
A group of four people scaled the perimeter fence of the Guido Romano municipal pool in Milan’s Città Studi district late on the evening of Thursday, 2 July. The facility, located in via Zanoia, had long been closed to the public. The 28-year-old Peruvian victim entered the water, initially in the shallow area, before moving toward the deep end. According to police reconstructions, he began to struggle and slipped under the surface without resurfacing.
- Group climbs fence into closed Guido Romano pool.
- Victim enters water, moves to deep end, and slips under.
- Companions flee without helping; Mauritanian alerts passerby.
- Rescuers pull unconscious man from water; he dies en route to hospital.
Failure to assist and investigation
His three companions, who were aware the man could not swim, watched him go under but did not intervene. Instead, they fled the pool area. One of them, a 42-year-old Mauritanian national, later stopped a passerby outside the facility and reported that someone was in the water. Emergency services were alerted shortly after 11 p.m. Police, firefighters and paramedics arrived, pulled the unconscious man from the pool and attempted resuscitation. He was taken to the Policlinico hospital but died en route.
The three friends, a 41-year-old Brazilian, the Mauritanian and a 48-year-old Colombian woman, all homeless and known to local police, were traced nearby and formally reported for omission of rescue (omissione di soccorso). They admitted to investigators that they had consumed alcohol before entering the pool and that they knew the victim could not swim. The investigation is being coordinated by Milan prosecutor Luisa Baima Bollone, and footage from the pool’s video-surveillance system is being examined.
Victim and companions
The victim was identified as Arigusto Encarnassion Alfredo, a Peruvian national. He may have suffered a medical episode, but drowning in the deeper water is considered the primary cause of death. None of the four individuals involved were residents of Milan; they were reportedly living on the streets and frequenting the Città Studi area.
Reaction
Caterina Antola, president of Municipio 3, the local administrative district, expressed sorrow over the incident.
I am very sorry — a game turned into a tragedy.
Aftermath
The pool, operated by the municipal company MilanoSport, remained closed on the morning of 3 July and was scheduled to reopen only after noon because of the nighttime intrusion.
