Boy, 12, dies after getting sucked into hot tub filter during family holiday in Italy
A 12-year-old boy died after he was caught in a hotel jacuzzi filter in Italy over the Easter weekend.
The tragic incident took place in the spa of the Duca di Montefeltro Hotel in Pennabilli, near Rimini.
While Matteo Brandimarti was on holiday with his family, they decided to relax at the hotel’s recreation facilities on Easter Sunday.
At around 10.30 in the morning, the child was trapped in the jacuzzi when his leg was pulled into the nozzle while the hydromassage function was active.
Matteo was trapped underwater for almost five minutes before being rescued by hotel staff who managed to turn off the main power supply and the jacuzzi pump.
Emergency services teams determined that the child’s condition was serious and came to the scene and started performing heart massage.
They managed to get his heart beating again and then called for an emergency helicopter to transport him to the hospital.
The 12-year-old boy was placed on life support equipment, but was tragically declared brain dead on April 9.
Photo of Matteo Brandimarti with his father before the tragic incident
Image: The spa of the Duca di Montefeltro Hotel in Pennabilli near Rimini
Investigators said Matteo was underwater long enough to cause cardiac arrest and severe brain damage due to hypoxia.
According to local media reports, life support equipment will now be turned off.
The family’s lawyer, Umberto Gramenzi, said that the child’s parents, Maurizio and Nicoletta, gave their consent for organ donation.
According to local news, it is possible to perform an autopsy on the child’s body to better understand the cause of death.
The prosecutor’s office has launched an investigation into the unintentional manslaughter incident, for which there is no suspect at the moment.
The facility’s pool and its surroundings have been closed for the last 4 days and the investigation will continue.
Spresal, the workplace safety and prevention service provided by the Local Health Authority, submitted a report on the condition of the hot tub system.
They are looking for irregularities in the design of nozzles and ventilation holes, in particular, the presence of grilles protecting the devices.
After the tragedy, Matteo’s father posted a photo of his son on Facebook and dozens of people flooded the comments section to express their condolences.
One person wrote: ‘Beautiful sweet soul…May God hold you in his arms and bless your parents always,’ while another added: ‘It’s so painfully unfair.’
