Feet immersed in the river and a slipper dragged away by the current. This was the reason why three children aged 8, 10 and 12 and the 24-year-old teacher of a Cre (summer recreational centre) were recovered by firefighters from a log on the bed of the Lamone river. The episode occurred yesterday around 10.15 am in Fognano di Brisighella at the house in via Brenti where the AMI (Association of the Undivided World) has its headquarters, which hosts a reception project for asylum seekers. The house is also home to the Cre that the Faenza association ‘Pi Greco’ organizes, attended by about ten children. Among the weekly activities there was also a visit to the river and so yesterday five children, accompanied by their teacher, walked down the private road that leads to an open space on the river bank. Right there a child was soaking his feet when suddenly the current took away his slipper. The boy, then, followed by two other girls, thought of entering the water to retrieve it. However, the current also rose, making it difficult to return to shore.
The educator, a 24-year-old girl from Faenza, immediately intervened and, after entering the river, took the children and placed them safely on a log in the center of the Lamone riverbed. Then she called for help. The Carabinieri from the Fognano station, an ambulance from the 118 Romagna Soccorso and the firefighters who intervened with crews from the Faenza detachment and the Ravenna provincial command, as well as with operators specialized in water rescue immediately rushed to the scene. The ‘Drago’ helicopter also took off in flight from Bologna. However, it was through maneuvers from land and thanks to the use of ropes that the firefighters managed to bring the educator and the three children back to shore who, overall, were in the water for about 40 minutes. All the protagonists of the story were unharmed, and already an hour after the event the children were at the table having lunch together.
“The children weren’t exactly stuck because they touch that point – explains Laura Emiliani, representative of the ‘Pi Greco’ association -, the educator called for help out of caution”. According to what was reconstructed by the association, “the children, who are six this week, but yesterday there were five because one is ill, were there to visit the river because the house where the cre is taking place has direct access to a small beach on the bank where the water is shallow. A child put his feet in the water and his slipper fell off. Despite the warning of our educator, he ran into the water to get it, and two little girls followed him. The educator then entered into the water, he promptly recovered them and loaded them onto the log that was in the center of the river so that they would stay dry. Then he prudently called for help.” A misadventure, therefore, which all things considered did not have serious consequences. “I heard from the children – concludes Emiliani – and they experienced the story as an adventure. The educator for her part did very well in calling for help without improvising”.
Damian Ventura
