He was close to retirement. Firefighter foreman of the provincial command of Foggia, a worker with great experience. In a month he would have turned 60. Antonio Ciccorelli died while he was involved in some rescue operations in a flooded stream in Foggia. He was in a car with a colleague.
He leaves behind a wife and a son. “Today is a day of deep sorrow – says the mayor of Foggia, Maria Aida Episcopo – Antonio gave his life for the good of others, embodying the highest values of courage, dedication and sense of duty”. She announces that the city will be united on the day of mourning. The funeral will be held in the next few hours. “His generosity and his spirit of sacrifice will remain forever imprinted in our hearts and in the memory of those who had the honor of knowing him”. According to some testimonies, Before the tragic epilogue, he had also managed to save two women, stuck in a car.
The news of his passing has deeply shaken the community, which has gathered around Ciccorelli’s family. The mayor of San Severo, Lidya Colangelo, expressed her condolences on behalf of the city and placed the flags at half-mast as a sign of mourning. This morning, a minute of silence was held in the city council. On the day of the funeral, there will be a day of mourning for the city. She said she was “stunned and shocked, immensely close to his family.”
Antonio was on duty in Foggia. He was highly respected and well-liked. His colleagues remember him as a courageous firefighter, always ready to help others. His fellow citizens emphasize his great humanity and professionalism.
Cyclone Boris hits Italy: rain alert in Emilia Romagna. One dead in Foggia
For many hours, he was missing. Until the last moment, the rescuers hoped to find him alive. Then, the sad epilogue, made official at 5:30 by the National Fire Brigade Corps that proclaimed national mourning. With a tweet, the news of his death. «The head of the department Renato Franceschelli, the head of the Corps, Carlo Dall’Oppio, all the firefighters of Italy join in the pain of the family and colleagues of Foggia».
The area, for hours, was the target of rain, wind, lightning and hail. “We are stuck here”, “My husband has been on that road for an hour and a half”, “I have never experienced anything like this in my entire life”: in the last few hours there had been many appeals and reports, even on social media, from motorists overwhelmed by the water bomb. Over twenty firefighters had set out to help the motorists. The men of the river unit were also on the move. The dead firefighter was part of the group that left from Foggia. Others had arrived from Bari.
There are the words of a witness. He is a 65-year-old farmer who lives in the area. «It was around 8 pm when it started to rain heavily. About three quarters of an hour of heavy rain and everything around here was flooded. I saw a car carried away by the water and then the firefighters’ off-road vehicle dragged by the current.” He recalls a similar episode, a few years ago, “although on that occasion there were no victims.”
The vehicle in which Antonio was yesterday was dragged by water and mud. It was the divers who recovered his body. He was still in the cockpit of the off-road vehicle. They found him near a canal, about 700 meters from where the flood surprised them. The other firefighter, however, managed to save himself. He is injured but not in danger of life. He was transported to the Masselli Mascia hospital in San Severo and could be discharged today.
“I am deeply saddened,” said Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi. “To his family and to the entire Corps I express my closeness and my deepest condolences. To the colleague who was in the car, who was injured and hospitalized, I wish a speedy recovery.”
The Fp Vigili del Fuoco also has a thought. “Once again, Italy mourns the loss of a rescuer, a worker. Our unconditional thanks go to Antonio. Dying to save other lives is a gesture of altruism and dedication of great value.” Then, to the other injured firefighter, the wish for a speedy recovery. But the union goes even further, contextualizing the episode. “Climate change, as has happened in recent months due to the fires, continues to put the lives of Firefighters at risk, also dealing with sudden floods and heavy rains.”
Storm Boris engulfs Central Europe, seven dead, thousands evacuated
Even on social media, there is great mourning for this death at work. Some are proposing a state funeral, others are remembering him as a “hero”. «Today San Severo cries for you” says a citizen who remembers those “special workers, who wear a uniform”. A thought for Antonio who “gave his life to save that of others”.
This summer another similar tragedy occurred, with the death of two firefighters in Matera, while putting out a fire.
#Antonio #Ciccorelli #missing #firefighter #Foggia #dead #overwhelmed #flood #rescuing #car