A carelessness that could have been very costly, which seriously jeopardized not only the lives of two teenagers, but also that of a rescuer. Fortunately, thanks to the joint action of three willing and responsible people, everything went well and the girls’ holiday, of French origin, continued peacefully. Just as the evening continued peacefully for the three people from Ravenna who, with a gesture of true heroism, avoided the worst on Monday evening.
The bathroom
It’s just after 7pm and there’s almost no one at the Marisol bathroom in Marina di Ravenna. Also because the weather is changeable and rain comes down from time to time. In fact there is a double red flag: due to the current, which pushes decisively towards the sea and also due to the weather warning. Conditions for which, moreover, the presence of any lifeguard is not expected. Suddenly, a woman heads from the shoreline towards the racket courts screaming. She finds Luigi Terdoslavi, a firefighter, who is playing with a friend of his, Michele Mariotti. He asks them for help, his daughters, aged fifteen and seventeen, are drowning.
The rescue
Some were already launching themselves towards them, but a few meters ahead from the shore there is a large hole and the current is strong: «Michele was fast, and immediately reached one of the two girls, who were 20/30 meters from the shore – explains Terdoslavi -. I took the other one, but I had more rescue techniques, having learned them through work. So I was already taking the girl to the beach when I saw my friend in serious danger.” The operation has already been going on for minutes, the teenager still in danger has already drunk a lot and the rescuer is unable to do it alone: «Fortunately the bartender from Marisol was there, who ran to help. It was decisive.”
This is Federico Baldini, he is 18 years old, he will be 19 in the autumn. He attends the Artistic School and during the summer he “does the season”. He’s already off work and so he decided to stay for a game too: «I know Mich for some time and when I saw that he couldn’t do it alone, I took the plunge. I’ve been going to the gym for two years, I’m 195cm and weigh 95kg. I felt I could fight the current.” And so it was. Federico helps Michele and the second girl also reaches safety: «They were really lucky – explains Federico -. At that time and in that weather they could have found no one to help them and it would have been a huge tragedy.” Despite the terrible experience, everyone manages to recover and the nightmare that was taking shape dissolves, as after an eventful night: «For Michele and the girl I was really scared – concludes Luigi -. He was white as a sheet, that last-minute intervention saved the situation. And it reminds us that you can never be too careful at sea.”
