A seven-year-old boy died after becoming trapped in a swimming pool’s suction duct.
Gabriele Petrucci had gone to a wellness retreat with his parents and friends on Saturday (18 Apr) to celebrate his birthday, which had fallen two days earlier.
He was in the shallow water with his mother, while his father stood just a few yards away at the pool’s edge, when he suddenly disappeared.
READ MORE: Badminton-playing robot ‘knocked out’ by feather-light shuttlecock
His father, Antonello, recalled: “At one point I turned round to put some things down and then I couldn’t see him any more.
“I saw Gabriele’s little body curled up in this suction pipe. I tried to pull him out with my hands.”
Gabriele was struggling underwater but couldn’t resurface.
“Three people helped me and even with them I couldn’t get him out,” Antonello said. “They had to switch off the pump so I could free him.
“His arm was purple – he fought like a lion to get free.”
The family’s lawyer, Francesco Lauri, said: “They tried to revive him for a long time, but there was nothing they could do.”
Early findings suggest the outdoor pool’s suction pipe at the Complesso Termale Vescine in Castelforte, Italy, was missing a protective grate.
Antonello has accused the retreat of trying to cover its tracks in the immediate aftermath, as reported by Need To Know.
He told local media: “As if by magic, this grille appeared a long way off – so far away that I can only assume someone put it there afterwards.”
Prosecutors in Cassino are investigating four people for manslaughter – including the retreat’s managers, the owner of the maintenance company and the worker responsible for refitting the grille.
A technical inspection of the site is due to be carried out on Monday (27 Apr), while Gabriele will be laid to rest in Rome on Saturday (25 Apr).
Local reports described Gabriele as a “cheerful, happy boy”.
The family’s lawyer said: “His death is entirely attributable to poor pool management and an outdated, non-compliant safety system.
“I won’t comment on the lifeguards’ competence, which is a secondary issue compared to a tragedy that should have been prevented.”
READ MORE: Climber lost finger after removing glove in -35C on Everest to adjust camera
