Cagliari forward Yael Trepy awakens from coma with no neurological damage after near drowning

Medical recovery in Sassari

Cagliari forward Yael Trepy has regained consciousness and breathes without mechanical assistance following a near-drowning incident in northern Sardinia. Medical staff at the Santissima Annunziata Hospital in Sassari extubated the 20-year-old French player in the late afternoon on Tuesday, 18 August, concluding a two-day medically induced coma. Hospital officials confirmed that neurological examinations revealed no deficits, with his respiratory and haemodynamic functions remaining stable. Trepy has started communicating with clinical staff and receiving food, though he remains under continuous observation ahead of a scheduled move out of the intensive care unit into an emergency medicine ward.

Rapid response in Baja Sardinia

The incident occurred on Sunday evening at a private villa swimming pool in Baja Sardinia, along the Costa Smeralda. Regional emergency service Areus dispatched medical crews from their nearby base in Olbia, reaching the location in under five minutes. Paramedics established an airway and intubated the footballer within ten minutes of their arrival to address acute respiratory failure caused by large volumes of inhaled water.

The intervention by Areus in a few minutes was decisive, the proximity of the Olbia base allowed Yael Trepy to be rescued quickly. The rescue team carried out the intubation; the clinical picture was certainly critical due to a severe respiratory situation caused by the heavy presence of water. We did not detect any other substance, this must be reiterated.

AOU Sassari general director Serafinangelo Ponti attributed the outcome to the speed of the regional emergency infrastructure.

We are fortunately here to talk about a story with a happy ending. It is not a miracle, but the fruit of good healthcare, of an excellent job by the entire Sardinian healthcare apparatus. Starting with Areus, which rescued and provided initial care to Yael Trepy.

Circumstances of the poolside incident

Toxicological screenings conducted at the hospital detected no traces of alcohol or narcotics in Trepy's system. According to accounts shared by his family and agent Edoardo Oggianu, the forward had fallen asleep in the sun for two to three hours with his mobile phone resting on his chest. Trepy, who cannot swim, was positioned in the shallow section of the pool before slipping into the deep end where he was unable to touch the bottom. Upon awakening in the hospital, Trepy experienced retrograde amnesia regarding the event, asking attending medical personnel whether he had been admitted following a road traffic collision.

Club presence and hospital discharge plans

Cagliari president Tommaso Giulini attended a joint press briefing at Palazzo Bompiani alongside sporting director Pietro Accardi, head coach Fabio Pisacane, and scouting official Roberto Muzzi. Club physician Gabriele Cirillo and physiotherapist Simone Ruggiu remained on site in Sassari to monitor the forward's status from the moment of admission.

There was a great example of timeliness and competence, the rescuers arrived less than five minutes after the incident, just a little more was needed to have a much more serious situation, perhaps fatal. Those who rescued Yael Trepy did not know he was a footballer, in about ten minutes he was already intubated and under the care of doctors.

Trepy's mother, Nelly, was permitted to visit him approximately one hour after his extubation. During his initial interactions with clinical personnel, Trepy corrected the intensive care director on the pronunciation of his name. Medical staff will assess his readiness for step-down care, after which sports physicians will evaluate his eventual timeline for physical rehabilitation and athletic training.