A 23-year-old boy found near death in the Ticino River: yet another August tragedy.

Pavia – A 23-year-old man is fighting for his life at the San Matteo hospital in Pavia after being rescued from the Ticino River late on the afternoon of August 15th. The young man dived into the water and did not resurface until rescued by firefighters. The accident occurred near the bridge connecting Vigevano to Abbiategrasso , in a stretch where the water level is particularly low.

The alarm was raised shortly after 7:00 PM, when some residents on the shore noticed the young man's motionless body in the water . The emergency call immediately mobilized the firefighters, who pulled the 23-year-old from the river, and the medical personnel from the Regional Emergency Agency.

A dramatic race against time unfolded on the scene. Rescuers resuscitated the boy directly on the banks of the Ticino River, stabilizing his condition enough for emergency transport. The air ambulance then transported the young man to the San Matteo emergency room , where he arrived in critical condition.

Doctors describe the twenty-three-year-old's condition as "extremely critical." He is now admitted to the intensive care unit at Pavia hospital, where paramedics are doing everything they can to save his life.

On the same day, in Moglia , in the Mantua province , another 23-year-old man dived near the Mondine pumping station and disappeared from the water. The search continued until sunset, but was unsuccessful. The alarm was raised at 5:00 PM when friends who were with him on a fishing trip called for help, realizing their companion hadn't resurfaced.

The summer drama: deaths in the Lombardy waters

The Moglia incident threatens to add to the tragic summer toll that sees too many young people lose their lives in Lombardy's inland waterways. On August 14th, a sixteen-year-old Egyptian boy dived into the Adda River between Merlino and Comazzo, in the Lodi area. He was rescued by firefighters and transported by helicopter to the San Raffaele hospital in Milan, where he died on August 15th . Reports indicate that his body was located by the firefighters' helicopter during the search; the boy was with some friends when he entered the water due to the heat, despite a swimming ban along the river (though it's unclear whether he was aware of this).

Two days earlier, on August 13, a twenty-one-year-old from Albano Sant'Alessandro (Bergamo) drowned in the Oglio River, near Palazzolo sull'Oglio, Brescia. He had dived in with two friends and reportedly had difficulty returning; rescue efforts were unsuccessful.

Between June and July alone , 31 deaths were recorded in Italy's lakes and rivers , an average of one victim every two days, according to data from the Italian Society of Environmental Medicine.