A sea rescue operation occurred off Porto Ferro, where an elderly German man, his grandson, and three young people from Sassari were rescued. The lifeguards' intervention and the collaboration of Areus and the Porto Torres Coast Guard were crucial. It was a Sunday to forget for the beachgoers of Porto Ferro, where the Life Guards of the Vosma social cooperative provide lifesaving services. Despite the sea conditions being harsh since the early afternoon, with waves exceeding 2 meters and treacherous currents, many of the more than a thousand people on the beach chose to ignore the red flag, putting their safety at risk. The Arpa Sardegna sea bulletin, issued on July 25, already indicated critical conditions for today, July 26. And sure enough, in the early afternoon, the initially calm sea turned into a death trap.

Vosma lifeguards, aware of the danger, launched an intense prevention and awareness campaign, but calls to order and the display of the red flag weren't enough to stop swimmers' desire to go to the beach. The first intervention took place around 4:00 PM. Massimo Nova, a lifeguard for the cooperative , dived into the water to rescue a German tourist in his 70s and his 15-year-old nephew , both of whom had been swept out to sea by the strong current in the center of the bay. The man and the boy, clearly in distress, were quickly reached and brought back to shore safe and sound, without any injuries and without requiring hospitalization, recovering within minutes on the beach. But the worst was yet to come.

Around 6:00 PM, three young men from Sassari, each in his twenties, braved the sea at a critical point in the bay, precisely where the currents are strongest. Within moments, they were swept over 200 meters offshore, finding themselves in grave danger. At that point, a massive intervention was launched: lifeguards Massimo Nova, Gian Mario Pinna, and Alessio Gallisai immediately took action , using both rescue boards and a jet ski , necessary to cover the considerable distance from the shore. The three young people, two boys and a girl, were reached and brought back to shore. While the two young men emerged from the water without serious injuries, the girl required over half an hour of assistance.

Luckily, two Areus doctors who happened to be on the beach immediately took action, offering their assistance and working with the lifeguards to stabilize the young woman, who ultimately recovered without any serious consequences. "The day was extremely complex," says a Vosma worker. "We did everything we could to prevent it: we raised awareness among swimmers, displayed the red flag, and even called the Coast Guard to help us make people understand that it wasn't a good idea to enter the water. Unfortunately, the sun and heat got the better of our common sense." Just before the second intervention, a Coast Guard patrol boat had arrived to assist the lifeguards in their dissuasion efforts, hoping that the presence of their uniforms would persuade swimmers to desist. Despite this, many continued to brave the sea.

© Riproduzione riservata