Two young men drown off Ventimiglia: bodies recovered after three-day search amid rough seas
After three days of searching, the bodies of two young men who vanished while swimming off Ventimiglia's rocky coast were recovered on 12 June.
What happened
On the afternoon of Wednesday, 10 June (some sources cite 9 June), Whalid Sobi and Ewerton Bernardo Dos Santos entered the sea from the rocky coast at Calandre beach in Ventimiglia, near the French border. The sea was rough, with strong currents and high waves. According to one reconstruction, Ewerton dove from the Madonnina rock and quickly found himself in difficulty. Whalid then jumped in to help his friend. Neither was able to return to shore. A witness reported seeing them disappear under the water and not resurface.
Search and recovery
A massive rescue operation was launched immediately. Dozens of personnel from the fire brigade's diving unit, coastguard, finance police, carabinieri, and 118 emergency services combed the coastline and open sea. Helicopters and naval vessels joined the search, which extended towards the west as currents were moving in that direction. Hopes faded over the next two days. On the morning of 12 June, divers located the first body, embedded among rocks near Calandre beach, at a depth of around three metres and some 15 metres from the cliff. A second body was found shortly after, inside the port of Ventimiglia at the entrance to the Marina di Cala del Forte, near the green lighthouse.
- Ewerton dives from the Madonnina rock; Whalid follows to help. Both are overcome by strong waves.
- Witnesses raise alarm; search and rescue deployed.
- Search suspended for the night; currents direction assessed towards France.
- Expanded search along coast towards France; helicopters and divers scouring area.
- First body found 3 metres deep, 15 metres from cliff near Calandre beach.
- Second body found at entrance of Marina di Cala del Forte, near green lighthouse.
Eyewitness accounts and family
The girlfriend and the brother of Ewerton were present at the moment of the incident and immediately raised the alarm. Relatives, including an aunt of Ewerton, remained on the shore throughout the search, holding onto hope until the tragic outcome was confirmed. Bathers attempted to reach the struggling swimmers but were unsuccessful.
The victims
Whalid Sobi, 19, was of Moroccan origin and lived in Sanremo. Ewerton Bernardo Dos Santos, 25, was of Brazilian origin, also a resident of Sanremo. Both were known in the local community. Their bodies were recovered and taken to the quay for identification and legal medical examination.
