Capri – Yesterday was a busy day for the Capri Carabinieri, who conducted two separate and delicate rescue operations involving tourists in difficulty.
A positive final outcome, which saw the discovery of a missing elderly woman and the rescue of a stranded crew.
The case of the lost eighty-seven-year-old
The first alarm went off in the early afternoon. Concern gripped a group of Mexican tourists: one of their fellow countrymen, an 87-year-old woman suffering from Alzheimer's, had literally vanished into thin air after wandering off from the group she had arrived with on the island.
Le research, coordinated by the Station Command, began immediately. The investigation focused on the port, a crucial hub for the island's traffic. A stroke of luck and a woman's intuition made the difference.
A Carabiniere, off duty but not alert, thought she recognized the woman among the passengers on a hydrofoil already headed for Sorrento.
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The alert has been raised for the Sorrento coast, a radio patrol of the Carabinieri They managed to locate her shortly after 20:20 PM in Sorrento. The woman, although clearly confused, was found to be in generally good physical condition. After initial treatment and routine checks by 118 paramedics, she was safely returned to her group.
The Australian family's rescue at sea
But yesterday's operation for the Carabinieri had already begun in the early hours of the morning with an operation at sea. A distress call alerted the crew of the Capri patrol boat: a pleasure boat carrying five Australian tourists—a family with two minors—was in serious trouble.
A sudden and irreparable rudder failure had rendered the vessel unmanageable, leaving it at the mercy of the currents about four miles offshore. Without steering and at the mercy of the sea, the vessel was adrift, turning a trip into a perilous experience.
The patrol boat's personnel responded quickly, reaching the vessel and checking on the crew: fortunately, everyone was safe, although frightened. After securing the vessel and its passengers, the Carabinieri towed everything to the safety of the port of Capri, where the group was assisted.
A balance of perfect efficiency
Two very different emergencies, handled with professionalism and promptness by the Carabinieri, who, in the complex and fragile context of an island, once again demonstrated their role as a cornerstone of security, capable of moving from territorial control to sea rescue in a matter of hours. Six tourists, including the most vulnerable—a sick elderly woman and two children—returned home thanks to them.
Comments (1)
It was a very important day for the Capri Carabinieri, with two significant events. The response to the missing elderly woman and the Australian family at sea was well-coordinated and timely, demonstrating the efficiency of law enforcement.