“We were waiting for Alex at our place. We were supposed to go to lunch together. Then they called us to tell us that they couldn’t find him.” The parents of Alex Marangonthe 26-year-old Venetian who disappeared during the night between Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 June during a party, spent the day at the Vidor Abbey following the firefighters’ search step by step. The hope of finding him still healthy, however, alternated with moments of desperation and despair, as they confided to the mayor Mario Bailo, who opened the Coc (Municipal Operations Center) to support the rescuers.
Ortona, escapee on the run with his father: the search for the “gentleman robber” points to the Balkans
Friends and neighbors shocked
The news of the boy’s disappearance immediately spread to Marcon, where the 26-year-old lives with his family. “For me, Alex is like a nephew, I can’t explain what could have happened to him.” Mrs. Gabriella, who lives next to the Marangon family in Marcon, is shocked by the news of the young man’s disappearance, of whom nothing has been known since the night between Saturday and Sunday.
The apartment building on Via Monte Grappa where Alex lives with his family comes to life feverishly at the news of his disappearance, shaking the quiet of a sultry late June afternoon. The worried neighbors want to help the parents. “We saw them go out,” Gabriella continues, “but we thought they were going to the beach. They go there every week with Alex, too, when he’s not working in the mountains. I saw the carabinieri arrive this morning, but we never thought they were here for this.”
Born in 1998, with the physique of an athlete, after studying to become a mechanical engineer at the “Volta” institute in Venice, Alex has always worked as a seasonal bartender, often in mountain contexts such as the pub and restaurant in Alto Adige from which he had just returned to spend a few days of vacation with his family. No one can explain what could have driven the young man to run away and disappear, especially in the middle of the night.
«He had invited me to that party too»
“He asked me to go with him to this party, but I don’t know what event it was,” says Matteo, a neighbor of the same age, while trying to call his friend on his cell phone. Alex’s cell phone, however, was found in the car, as were his documents. “I don’t know the friends he was with at the party,” he continues. “His historic company is all here in Marcon. I don’t think he hurt himself, he wouldn’t have any reason to. Maybe he just wanted to isolate himself, be on his own for a bit. Alex is a person who loves contact with nature, he has a strong spiritual dimension: it’s the only explanation I can give myself.” No one can think of a reason why he might have wanted to distance himself. “I don’t think he had a girlfriend,” continues Matteo. “He always got along with his parents and also with his sister, who works in Bologna as a train conductor. If there’s one person who can tell if something was troubling Alex, it’s his mother Sabrina. She was the person he confided in.” «He also spent a lot of time with his grandmother – adds Gabriella – Who knows if his parents informed her of his disappearance…».
On Linkedin Alex describes himself as a “sunny, curious, determined guy who puts a lot of energy into what he does. I’m passionate about mixing and I love being in contact with people making them feel at ease”. On Instagram he reveals a more “spiritual” nature: “Know yourself and become what you are”, he writes in his bio, along with the reconciliation mantra Ho’oponopono. As a child and a young man he practiced athletics at Biotekna in Marcon, specializing in javelin throw, high jump, long jump and 600 meters.
The Mother’s Appeal
“Help us find Alex, please.” The heartfelt appeal comes from Sabrina, the mother of Alex Marangonthe 26-year-old Venetian who disappeared on Saturday night during a private party in the Vidor Abbey.
Alex’s research
It’s time for feverish searches, with over 40 firefighters busy combing the banks of the Piave and the surrounding countryside. Searches that the woman is following step by step together with her husband and other family members. “Alex is a quiet boy – she says -. He would never have gone away without saying anything”.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Read the full article on
The messenger
