Raging River Turns Southern Italy into a Bath of Broken Dreams
Tragic splash in the Calabria gorge
On Monday, the peaceful slopes of southern Italy turned into a tragedy when a sudden, torrent‑fueled cascade buried 10 brave souls. The culprit? A rebellious white‑water creek that decided to hit the “full splash” mode after a heavy drizzle upstream.
Rescue mission: A roller‑coaster of ropes, lights, and sleepless nights
- 18 life‑saving heroes were flown to the gorge with *the power of rope and a dash of daring.
- Six of those rescued bore the marks of the water’s wrath—wounded but alive, their spirits still roaring.
- In the early dusk, searchlights splashed across the dark to hunt for the missing, who had slipped into the gorge without the usual safety net.
Who’s missing? Searching for the “lost” groupsters
The full list of missing residents remains a mystery. While most walkers in this southern haven are locals, people from all over the world wandered into the crystal‑clear stream and vanished into thin air.
Raganello River: the hidden hero of Pollino National Park
Raganello, a side‑kick of the Pollino National Park, carved a tight, 1‑km‑wide gorge. Rescue squads slid down the cliff faces like daring cliff‑hangers with ropes in hand, making sure no one gets left behind.
Voices from the frontlines
“The gorge had a personal touch, filling up faster than a social media post can go viral—and people were flung out like high‑speed bullets,” recounts Carlo Tansi, head of the regional civil protection.
“It’s a maze of natural obstacles. Think of it as the world’s hardest obstacle course,” chimed Eugenio Facciolla, the chief prosecutor in Cosenza.
Under the glare of spotlights, rescuers zoomed through the water to find those snagged on tiny clearings or floating islands of the creek.
Helicopters, helmets, and a desperate dash to the hospitals
Mounting the most grievously injured was a swift aerial relief—helicopters whisked them to the nearest hospitals in Cosenza, where medical teams turned crisis into care.
Last week’s derailment in the north: a reminder that nature is unpredictable
Just a month ago, a motorway bridge collapsed in Genoa, snapping the Italian coastline to its core and claiming 43 lives. It’s a jarring tick‑to‑tock reminder that the earth is never idle.
What the brave, and all those who survived, owe to the land
While these events might feel like a tragedy writ in tragedy style, they serve as a stark reminder: Always respect the wild currents and keep your hiking permits handy.
