Father and uncle drown in Sesia river while trying to save a girl; brother rescues her
Two men, a father and uncle, drowned in the Sesia river near Romagnano, Italy, while trying to save a girl who was struggling in the current. The girl was rescued by her brother; the mother, who is pregnant, was hospitalized.
The incident
On the afternoon of 5 July 2026, a family outing turned to tragedy on the banks of the Sesia river in Romagnano Sesia, a town in the province of Novara, northern Italy. Two men, both around 40 years old and of Moroccan origin, drowned after entering the water to rescue a girl who was struggling in the current. The girl, described by one source as a 6-year-old and by others as a minor, was the daughter of one man and the niece of the other. The two adults, reportedly not strong swimmers, were quickly overwhelmed by the river's flow and disappeared beneath the surface. The incident occurred in front of numerous people who had gathered along the river to escape the summer heat.
Rescue efforts
The girl's brother also jumped into the water and managed to bring her to shore unharmed. Emergency services were alerted, and firefighters arrived with a helicopter dispatched from Malpensa airport, along with medical teams from the 118 service and carabinieri from the local station. The firefighters recovered the bodies of the two men, but they could not be revived. The girl's mother, who is pregnant, was taken to the Maggiore hospital in Novara for medical care.
We tried everything, me and another guy, but our intervention was too late. Unfortunately, after pulling them out, the two men had been underwater too long. We tried to resuscitate them but nothing... what a tragedy...
The rescuer's account, shared on social media and reported by the local news site NotiziaOggi.it, underscores the desperate attempts by bystanders to help before professional responders arrived.
A summer of drownings
The Romagnano tragedy is part of a wider pattern. Rai news reported that over 600 people have died from drowning in Italy between 2024 and 2026. The figure highlights the risks posed by rivers, lakes, and coastal waters, especially during heatwaves when more people seek relief in open water. Authorities have repeatedly urged caution, but the death toll continues to rise.
Investigation
The carabinieri are investigating the exact circumstances of the incident. Initial findings suggest the two men were caught off guard by the current, but further details are awaited. The local community has been shaken by the loss, which comes as many families spend time outdoors during the holiday season.
