A heartbreaking moment of three friends hugging each other before being swept away by floodwaters in Italy was captured on camera. As per reports, they were stranded on an island in the middle of a river when they tried to hold onto each other to keep themselves from being swept away by the raging waters.
According to Daily Mail, they are identified as Patrizia Cormos, 20, her friend Bianca Doros, 23, and her boyfriend Cristian Molnar, 25. The rescuers told the outlet that the trio was just a “few metres from the safety of the river bank”.
Two bodies, believed to be of Cormos and Doros, were later discovered about one kilometre away from the spot. Rescuers are still searching for Molnar, and they said, “We won’t stop until we find the third missing person”.
The outlet also shared the harrowing video on Instagram. “The heartbreaking final moments of three friends swept up in Italy flash floods have been revealed,” they wrote.
(WARNING: Some viewers may find the following video disturbing. Viewer discretion is advised)
“May their souls rest in peace,” wrote an Instagram user. Several others echoed the same sentiment.
“I can’t imagine what was going through their minds at the time. So sad,” added another.
“This is heartbreaking,” joined a third.
The firefighters were alerted of the trio’s situation after they received a call from one of the women, reported the Telegraph. They quickly arrived at the scene and attempted to rescue them, but before they could do anything, the three were swept away by the swiftly moving current.
“We threw them a rope, but they were literally swallowed up by the flood waters in front of our eyes. We watched them disappear,” Giorgio Basile, the chief of the provincial firefighters in Udine, told the outlet.
“The main element is not so much the rain, it is the power of the river, the very strong currents,” Basile said, adding, “There are gorges, there is a backwash of water and even for the experts it is a particularly treacherous task.”
“They found themselves in an unpredictable situation. Those who live in Premariacco know the river and how conditions can change quickly. The three kids arrived when it was sunny. They could not have known what was about to happen. It only took minutes,” Michele De Sabata, mayor of the nearby town of Premariacco, said while expressing his sympathy.
Vikram Sharma is a globe-trotting journalist with a global perspective on international events. His articles offer readers a global perspective on international events, exploring complex geopolitical issues and providing insights into the world’s most pressing challenges.
