A year has passed since the tragedy of Natisone, in which three young boys – Patrizia Cormos, Bianca Doros And Cristian Casian Molnar – they lost their lives overwhelmed by a sudden full full of the river Natisone while they were along the shore in the municipality of Premariatin Friuli-Venezia Giulia, the May 31, 2024. Due to recent rainfall and of the morphology of the river itself, the scope of Natisone passed from 20 cubic meters in the second to 135 cubic meters in the second Between 11:30 and 13:35, now in which the three young people had already alerted the rescue vehicles with a call to 112 to 13:29.
But what happened during those 44 minutes spent between the first emergency call and the arrival of the rescue helicopter, who arrived on the place of the flood 14:13only 3 minutes after the death of the boys? The two appraisals carried out during the investigations established that, with the use of a helicopterthe rescuers could have been save The three friends in a time between the 6 and 8 minutesbringing them back to the mainland before the flood overwhelms them.
In any case, already at the time of the facts the area was reported as dangerouswith the presence of some some signs that reported the risk of drowning and prohibited the bathing. Nonetheless, the “Preariacco Beach” was often attended by the inhabitants of the area, especially during the summer months.
Tragedy of the Natisone river: what happened and the chronology of rescue
What happened, therefore, during those 44 minutes spent from first call to 112 Until the arrival on the helicopter scene? In the reconstruction of the facts created by Prosecutor of Udinefollowing the first phone call of the 13:29 and of the subsequent two (always made by Patrizia Cormos at 13:36 and at 13:48), the 112 central employee would have managed the emergency as a technical helpdiverting the request for an intervention by land under the command of Udine firefighterswhich they would then send with the maximum urgency The crew closest to the place of the flood, also putting the divers into preallarm.
The rescuers of the Command of Udine, who arrived near the area at 13:56, However, they were not able to save The three young people due tohigh level reached by the water and the excessive distance from the victims, too far away from ray of the autoscala action resting on the Roman bridge. Precisely for this reason, the judiciary is investigating any responsibility in the management of the emergency service, which could have started a helicopter immediately. In particular, the closest would have been the Double Indialocated in the basis of Pasian di Prato (UD), who could have reached the area “over the course of 12/13 minutes».
On the contrary, at 14:02 A mission request for the helicopter had been inserted Dragon of the flight department of Venicethen took off at 14:05 from Venice Airport Marco Polo (more than 100 km away from Prewaracco) and only arrived at 14:28. Alerted only 31 minutes after the first call by Patrizia Cormos at 112, the Double India instead he managed to take off only at 14:07 approximately, and then reach the place of the flood at the 14:13three minutes after the flood overwhelmed young boys.
The rescue maneuvers that could have saved the victims according to the appraisals
According to one first expertise conducted in March 2025 by an alpine rescue expert, that of young people could have been a “possible rescue “ In the event that the rescue had been activated «in useful time “: with the help of a helicopter, together with donut And winch (able to raise large weights thanks to a rope wrapped in a rotating drum), the rescue vehicles could have recovered the three friends “in just two minutes head“then managing to save all three «in just Six minutes ».
Specifically, thanks to the observation of the photographs and videos of the tragedy, the expert he was able to ascertain that the three friends, who died for drowning at 14:10, they could have been saved to 14:06.
But to achieve the success of the rescue, how would the rescue maneuvers have been carried out according to the expertise? Considering that the boy served as anchor For the two friends in the water, the rescuer was supposed to go down in water from the helicopter through the winch and, using a donut or an evacuation melter it should have hoist first one of the two girlswhile the other would remain in the water sustained from the friend. The same procedureThen, he should have repeated for rescue The other girl and then the boy, who was in a more stable position.
According to the analysis of the expert, among other things, in the event that the situation had become even more dangerousputting the risk at risksafety of victims and rescuers, the technician (in agreement with the pilot) could also have been able to hoist simultaneously The two boys after saving the first girl.
A second expertise made by Guardia di Finanza of Bolzano instead established that the recovery of the three boys would have requested only 8 minutes and 30 seconds from the moment of activation of the helicopter. Even according to this analysis, technically saving the boys would have been feasible as long as the helicopter had started in time. It will still be the judiciary to ascertain any responsibilities or negligence of rescuers during the process, whose preliminary hearing is set for the September 19th 2025.
A ban on the Breast of the Natisone River
In reality, the sudden full In that area they are quite frequent given the morphology of Natisone: the river, about 55 kilometers long, is characterized by the presence of numerous dieti.e. almost vertical wall gorges that drastically increase the depth of the watercourse. The rogue of Prewaracco, in particular, is found downstream of one of these Forre, after which the river is enlarge considerably, thus significantly decreasing the speed waters. All this means that, in case of one full upstreamthis stretch of the river is unable to dispose of the large amount of water coming soon, thus causing a flooding of all the inlet.
To be dangerous It is, in particular, the‘Greto area of Natisone, that is that part of the river bed not covered by running water and covered with gravelon which the three boys had positioned themselves at a time when the water level was still Bass. Access to the area, in reality, was not explicitly prohibited: on the site there were some signs indicating the Private property and they forbidden access to motor vehicles With the exception of motorcycles, rescue vehicles or other authorized means. What, however, had been clearly reported was the prohibition of bathing for the risk of drowning, already introduced in 80s: that area, however, has always been very popular with inhabitants of the area especially in the summer periods, to the point of having been renamed “Beach Prework».
Environmental interventions following the accident: the ban on bathing remains
But there were gods environmental interventions to put the area safe after the tragedy of May 31, 2024? Partly yes. Over the past few months, in fact, the Municipality of Premariacco completed a series of works of Environmental and forest redevelopmentwhich involved 3 hectares along the course of the river. Numerous have been removed from the area Trees at risk of fallingwhile some of the specimens have been maintained younger To encourage greater hydraulic safety.
THE signs prohibition of bathing and hazard of drowning, however, have been made even more visible and flanked to some information panelsi, dedicated to environmental protection and the promotion of a conscious tourism throughout the Natisone area. Thirteen municipalities in the area were also involved in the initiative “Living the Natisone safely”, which provides for a series of meetings of awareness on river safety with the aim of promoting an approach aware and informed at the Natisone river and his morphology.
