An 11-year-old girl tragically passed away following a heartbreaking incident where her hair got stuck in a swimming pool’s suction pipe. The girl, identified as Alice Ferrari, was vacationing with her family in Sestri Levante, Italy, when the tragic event occurred at a lido on July 15.
Alice had entered a shallow indoor pool to escape the scorching temperatures outside but was pulled underwater after her hair got caught in a suction nozzle. Another child noticed her absence and raised the alarm. Daniele Muzio, the co-manager of the lido, reacted by diving into the pool with scissors to free Alice from the water intake outlet linked to the pool’s filtration system.
Despite receiving CPR for 45 minutes and being airlifted to Gaslini Children’s Hospital in Genoa in critical condition, Alice sadly succumbed to her injuries on Friday. Authorities are currently investigating if safety protocols, such as the requirement for children under 12 to be supervised by an adult in swimming pools, were adhered to at the lido.
Initial findings indicate that the lido may not have displayed the mandatory signage informing visitors about the supervision rule. Both Muzio and his co-manager, Anna Copello, are under scrutiny regarding Alice’s death. Additionally, the small pool, approximately one meter deep, has been confiscated for safety inspections.
Italy’s Minister for Civil Protection and Maritime Policies, Nello Musumeci, in collaboration with Health Minister Orazio Schillaci, has endorsed a bill to enforce stricter safety measures at pools. Musumeci emphasized the necessity of vigilance in preventing children from being left unattended in water, especially after recent incidents of minors dying in swimming pools.
Alice, a resident of Suisio, was a talented young equestrian enthusiast who had a passion for horse riding since the age of six. She trained at the Isola Equestrian Centre in Bergamo and was recognized by the Italian Equestrian Sports Federation as a promising young rider with a bright future.
In a compassionate gesture, Alice’s parents have opted to donate her organs, with the organ retrieval process scheduled after a post-mortem examination set for July 21.
