Man drowns in Adda river while trying to save 4-year-old nephew near Milan
The man, who was with his brother and the child, jumped into the water after the boy got into difficulty around 12:30 on 18 July. Firefighters are still working to recover his body; the child was airlifted to Bergamo hospital in critical condition.
Incident at Golfo Rivolta
A family outing turned fatal on the Adda river at Truccazzano, in the Milan metropolitan area, on Saturday 18 July. The victim, whose name has not been released, was at the Golfo Rivolta locality with his brother and his 4-year-old nephew. The three, like several other people, had gone to the riverbank to bathe and escape the heat. Around 12:30, the child got into difficulty in the water. The uncle immediately jumped in to help but drowned during the rescue attempt, possibly after suffering a medical emergency. His brother, the child's father, witnessed the events and is in a state of shock.
Rescue and recovery
Other bathers called the emergency services. The site is reachable only after a long stretch on foot, which complicated the response. Two helicopters were dispatched, one from Milan and one from Como. Firefighters from Milan, including a dive team, arrived to search for the man's body. The child was stabilised on site and then airlifted to the Papa Giovanni XXIII hospital in Bergamo in critical condition. As of mid-afternoon, the fire brigade was still working to recover the uncle's body from the river.
- Child gets into difficulty in the Adda river; uncle jumps in to help.
- Other bathers alert emergency services.
- Milan fire brigade divers reach the scene; body recovery begins.
- Child transported by air ambulance to Bergamo hospital in critical condition.
Child's condition and family impact
The 4-year-old boy remains hospitalised in Bergamo. Medical staff have described his condition as critical. The father, who was present throughout, is receiving support after witnessing his brother's death and his son's near-drowning. Authorities have not released the identities of any of the family members.
Investigation underway
Carabinieri from the Pioltello Company have opened an investigation to reconstruct the exact sequence of events. They are interviewing witnesses, including the other bathers who raised the alarm, and examining the river conditions at the time of the incident. No hypothesis has been ruled out, but early indications point to a sudden illness or exhaustion as the likely cause of the uncle's drowning.
