On June 13, 1981, all hopes of saving Alfredino Rampi were extinguished. The 6-year-old boy had fallen into a well in Vermicino.
Despite all attempts to recover him, with people trying to lower themselves into the cavity and digging a connecting tunnel, his death was declared. At 9 in the morning a stethoscope was lowered into the well to detect the child’s heartbeat, but nothing can be heard. At 4pm a small camera is inserted into the well which, at around 55 meters deep, identifies Alfredino. He is still and not breathing. The declaration of presumed death is then carried out and, to ensure the preservation of the body, the competent magistrate orders cryogenic fluid (liquid nitrogen at −200 °C) to be injected into the well. The body will be recovered by the miners of Gavorrano on 11 July.
The accident occurred on the evening of June 10th while he was walking in the countryside with his father and two friends. At a certain point Alfredino had asked to continue alone to make the short journey home, and his father had allowed him.
When the family didn’t see him return, they began to worry. And, after half an hour, the alarm was also raised with the first searches. The child had fallen into a well and the owner, not realizing anything, had placed a sheet of metal held in place by some stones at the mouth.
The story and the various stages were followed throughout Italy with bated breath. Adults and children remained glued to the TV in the hope that the rescue apparatus would succeed. Until that June 13th.
(Unioneonline/ss)
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