Featured Image Credit: Hotel Il Duce del Motefeltro
Topics: World News, Health, Travel, News
Lucy Devine
Topics: World News, Health, Travel, News
A 12-year-old boy has tragically died after being sucked into the filter of a jacuzzi while on holiday in Italy.
Matteo Brandimarti had been staying at the Duca di Montefeltro Hotel in Pennabilli when the accident occurred, The Sun reports.
It is alleged that Matteo's leg had been sucked into the filter of the jacuzzi, and while staff intervened by reportedly shutting off the power supply, the boy was airlifted to hospital for emergency treatment after being trapped underwater for five minutes, according to Italian publication Il Resto del Carlino.
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"Matteo's death is a huge loss for the community," parish priest Don Ulderico said, in a translated article.
"He was an intelligent, capable, helpful, curious, and always present child. A good and kind child.
"Two years ago, he made his First Communion in our parish. He was a member of the children's choir, and every Saturday, along with his classmates, he would come to lead the afternoon Mass.
"We had planned a prayer vigil with the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament to ask the Lord to perform a miracle, but instead the tragic news arrived. It was a vigil of mourning, a testimony of love."
Meanwhile, school principal Melania Martellacci added: "Matteo was a lively boy, interested in life, and beloved by his classmates. We all share his family's grief."
Umberto Gramenzi, the attorney representing Matteo's family, has explained that the jacuzzi had a depth of 80cm.
He claimed: "It is considered a crime of negligence due to carelessness, imprudence, lack of competence, and failure to comply with regulations regarding pool operations.
"The child's organs were donated to six other children. They hope that those responsible will be criminally prosecuted and punished."
He also previously added: "The matter still needs to be fully investigated. Now we just await the funeral and the boy's dignified burial. As for the legal proceedings, the Public Prosecutor's Office will take action and decide the next steps."
According to Sky, the Prosecutor's Office has opened a manslaughter case and three people are under investigation.
Gramenzi also told PEOPLE that an on-site inspection is scheduled at the hotel for 13 May.
He said it would be conducted by 'the technical consultants who performed the autopsy on the child's body, in order to examine the location where the incident took place'.
Tyla has reached out to Gramenzi, Rimini Police, and Duca di Montefeltro Hotel.