An 11-year-old girl has died after her hair became trapped in a swimming pool's suction outlet during a family holiday in Italy. Alice Ferrari was enjoying the water at a lido in Sestri Levante on Wednesday, July 15, when she dived beneath the surface and never resurfaced.
Rescue and Medical Response
A child nearby raised the alarm, prompting lido co-manager Daniele Muzio to leap into the pool. He used a pair of scissors to cut Alice's hair and free her from the powerful water intake linked to the filtration system. She was pulled out unconscious and given CPR for 45 minutes before being transferred in critical condition to a hospital in Genoa, where she died on Friday, July 17.
Investigation into Safety Violations
Prosecutors are investigating whether safety regulations were followed, including a rule requiring children under 12 to be accompanied by an adult when using swimming pools. Initial inquiries suggest the lido may not have displayed the mandatory sign informing visitors of this rule. Muzio and his mother Anna Copello, who co-manages the Bagni Segesta lido, are under investigation for Alice's death. The small pool, about one meter deep, has been seized for examination of its safety features.
Equestrian Talent Remembered
Alice, from Suisio, had nurtured a love of horse riding since age six and was regarded as a rising talent in the equestrian community. She trained at the Isola Equestrian Centre in Bergamo. The Italian Equestrian Sports Federation described her as a “promising young rider with a bright future ahead of her.” Her parents have decided to donate her organs, with retrieval scheduled after a post-mortem examination on Tuesday, July 21.
