A man was swallowed whole by quicksand within seconds as he celebrated his birthday.
Gabriele Zolezzi had just turned 38 and was at a reservoir with a pal.
He went into the water for a refreshing swim, but as he tried to get out, his feet got stuck in the muddy lakebed.
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The friend he had gone with didn’t see him disappearing from view, but he quickly noticed that Gabriele was missing.
He looked around for him, but all he could see were bubbles on the water’s surface on Saturday (20 Jul).
Realising what must have happened, he went over to try to pull him out, but he also ended up getting stuck in the mud.
The friend managed to free himself and raised the alarm at around 4:30pm.
Police, paramedics, and divers from the fire brigade soon arrived on the scene in Borzonasca, Italy.
They spent hours searching for Gabriele using a helicopter.
The divers eventually found his body and pulled it from Lake Giacopiane on Sunday morning.
There are numerous signs at the reservoir clearly stating “no swimming” and “quicksand danger”, according to local media.
However, Gabriele had ignored them because he often went to the reservoir and knew the area well.
Gabriele lived in Amborzasco and worked as a bricklayer, as reported on Need To Know.
He was an avid hiker who loved sports.
The police will investigate whether all safety regulations were adhered to by the reservoir’s managers.
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