A heartbreaking video shows three friends embracing for the last time before being swept away by an Italian storm.
Patrizia Cormos, 20, her friend Bianca Doros, 23, and her boyfriend Cristian Molnar, 25, can be seen standing up to their thighs in the swirling river in the heart-wrenching video, which was uploaded to X.
When the water level rose to dangerous levels, the group was walking along the river Natisone in Udine, Friuli, when they ended up on a small gravel island. They tried to save the group by throwing them a rope, but the three companions were said to be unable to hold it. Passers-by informed and firefighters were able to arrive at the scene as quickly as possible.
Unfortunately, the firemen saw them “disappear” as they were “swallowed by the flood”.
“We gave them a rope, but right in front of our eyes, the flood water sucked them whole. “We witnessed their disappearance,” recalled Giorgio Basile, regional fire chief in Udine.
Two remains, believed to be those of Patrizia Cormos and Bianca Doros, were discovered on Sunday, June 2, about a kilometer from their last known location. It was a grim realization for the city. Cristian Molnar, the third individual, has not yet been found.
The search intensified as boats, divers and drones scoured the river.
Doros, originally from Romania, went to Italy with her parents.
Cormos, a student at the Academy of Fine Arts in Udine, went for a drive with friends to celebrate completing a major exam, according to her devastated mother.
The group reportedly parked their vehicle by the river so they could explore the small beach and take some pictures.
Premariacco, a nearby town, has Michele De Sabata as its mayor and said the disaster happened “within minutes”.
“They found their situation unpredictable. The people of Premariacca know the river and how quickly the weather can change.
“The three children appeared one fine day.
They couldn’t know what was going to happen. It takes minutes at most,” he noted.
The northern Italian cities of Padua and Vicenza have been particularly hard hit by a series of deadly flash floods caused by recent severe storms. The governor of Venice compared the unusual weather to a “water bomb”.
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The video capturing Patrizia Cormos, Bianca Doros, and Cristian Molnar’s final moments before a devastating flash flood is a grim reminder of the unpredictable power of nature. As the river level rose rapidly, the trio found themselves stranded on a small gravel island and their situation continued to deteriorate. Despite desperate attempts to save them, including throwing a rope, they were overwhelmed by the water, leading to their tragic disappearance.
Fire and rescue efforts were swift, but the strong currents of the Natisone River made recovery efforts difficult. Tragically, the bodies of Patrizia and Bianca were discovered some distance from where they were last seen, and the search for Cristiano continues. The disaster deeply affected the community and highlighted the swift and merciless nature of such natural events.
The loss of these young lives in such a sudden and harrowing manner serves as a stark reminder of the importance of being prepared for rapidly changing weather conditions. The region, already dealing with the aftermath of powerful storms, faces a collective grief that reflects the lives lost and the destructive power of nature. Our thoughts are with the families and friends affected by this tragedy.