Sucked into pool drain, 13-year-old dies

A beach vacation turned tragic for a family from the Frosinone area, vacationing in Sperlonga, a popular tourist destination in the province of Latina. Sara Francesca Basso died at just 13 years old after swimming in the pool of the four-star hotel where she was staying with her parents and younger sister. The tragedy unfolded before the eyes of the girl's mother, who, in desperation, raised the alarm. There was no lifeguard at the pool, and investigations are also underway to determine whether the hotel was required to have a lifeguard. Yesterday afternoon, while in the pool, the girl was sucked into a water outlet at the bottom of the pool. An American tourist's attempt to save her was unsuccessful because, by the time he tried with all his might to pull her toward him, Sara Francesca had already drunk a lot of water. Other people also jumped in and helped him pull her lifeless from the pool. The 13-year-old was resuscitated and transported in critical condition by air ambulance to the Gemelli Hospital in Rome, where she died around 4:00 AM last night. The Carabinieri are investigating the incident. The pool area and the pump room have been placed under lockdown. Maintenance workers were also interviewed to determine whether there were safety systems in place to block the nozzles and, if so, why they failed to operate. Witnesses and hotel staff were also interviewed. According to the reconstruction, around 5:00 PM yesterday, the girl dived in for a swim when she was sucked into the approximately 20-centimeter-wide nozzle at the bottom of the pool. When she was taken to the poolside, she was resuscitated, but during the night her condition, which had initially appeared very serious, worsened, and nothing could be done for her. The Carabinieri of the Sperlonga station and the Terracina company are investigating the incident. An autopsy will be performed to determine the exact cause of death and determine whether the girl was taken ill before drowning, perhaps due to an iced drink she drank before entering the pool. The hotel where the tragedy occurred was sealed off two years ago for alleged irregularities and illegal construction: in 2014, the Carabinieri blocked an attempt to build nine additional rooms, the spa was found to be unauthorized, and permits for approximately half the rooms were missing. Subsequently, the Court of Appeal overturned the precautionary seizure order, granting the request of the property's lawyers. There was shock in the town of Morolo, where Sara Francesca was born, and in Frosinone, where she was in seventh grade. Many remember her as a "model student, polite, generous," and with a passion for dance.