Lifeguard and tourist drown in Andora rescue attempt as three die off Ligurian coast

Rescue attempt in Andora

On Tuesday morning, 25 August 2026, a rescue operation at Marina di Andora in Liguria resulted in the deaths of a lifeguard and a swimmer. Sixty-six-year-old Luigi Fasano and his wife, visiting from the province of Cuneo, entered the water in front of the Sacra Famiglia beach shortly before late morning. Although the sea surface appeared flat, red warning flags were flying along the shoreline to indicate danger from underwater currents near a pier. The couple encountered difficulty approximately fifteen minutes after entering the water. Beachgoers noticed the swimmers struggling to stay afloat and raised the alarm around 10:40 AM.

Fabrizio Valente, a 62-year-old lifeguard from Savona stationed on his watchtower, dived into the sea to help the couple despite having carried out another rescue thirty minutes earlier. Another safety assistant joined the rescue operation in the water. While Fasano's wife was successfully brought back to shore, Valente swam out to support Fasano in the deeper water near the pier structure.

Fatal struggle and emergency response

During the second rescue effort, strong underwater flows and physical fatigue overcame both men. Valente reached Fasano but submerged repeatedly while attempting to hold him above water. Other safety assistants on the beach observed the situation, swam out to secure the two men before they sank, and pulled them back to the beach.

Emergency teams from the 118 medical service, the Croce Bianca of Andora, the Coast Guard, and local police responded to the scene. Responders administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the sand, but both men were pronounced dead shortly before 12:00 PM. Investigators are assessing whether acute medical events, severe physical exhaustion, or treacherous underwater currents prevented them from returning to shore.

Tributes to the victims

Valente, a Savona resident, had worked for twelve consecutive summers as an assistant lifeguard at the beach managed by the Fondazione Sacra Famiglia. Colleagues remembered him as a dedicated professional who monitored the shoreline each summer. Following the incident, the organization released a statement commemorating his service.

He was a bright and sociable person, and he knew how to work with young people like few others. He accompanied them in the water for twelve summers, with patience and generosity. He spent his life helping others and that is how he ended it. Thank you Fabrizio for your example and your humanity: we will not forget you.

Fasano was a 66-year-old pensioner residing in Casalgrasso, a municipality in the province of Cuneo. He was a former employee of the Nissha manufacturing plant who spent his retirement participating in local activities. Casalgrasso Mayor Giovanni Donetto remembered him as an active parish choir singer and an avid amateur cyclist.

Afternoon fatality in Alassio

Later on Tuesday afternoon, a third fatal incident occurred along the Ligurian coast in the neighbouring town of Alassio. A 70-year-old man suffered sudden physical distress while swimming in open water. Other swimmers on the beach noticed his condition, jumped into the water to rescue him, and brought him to the shore.

Paramedics from 118, the Croce Bianca of Andora, and Coast Guard officers attempted cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the beach, but the man could not be revived. Medical personnel declared him dead at the scene. The drowning in Alassio brought the total number of sea fatalities in the province of Savona on 25 August 2026 to three.