Natisone, the accusation: “If timely help was provided, the boys would be alive”. Cristian’s family lawyer speaks
The lawyer of the family of Cristian Molnar, still missing after being dragged from the Natisone river, has no doubts: "If the rescue had been timely, the boys would be alive". And it doesn't mean these are omissions
BOLOGNA – “If the help had started promptly, that is, when poor Patrizia requested it, today the boys would be alive and at home with their parents”. The very harsh accusation comes in an interview given to Rai by Gaetano Laghi, who is the lawyer of the family of Cristian Molnar, the Romanian boy missing since Friday 31 May after being dragged away together with his friends Patrizia and Bianche by the raging waters of the Natisone river, in Udine. The bodies of the two girls were found on Sunday 2 June. Cristian’s can’t be found. And although his brother Petru cannot find peace and continues to give interviews in which he says he is convinced that Cristian is still alive, the hopes of finding the 25-year-old alive are now nil. The river, the mayor of Premiaracco Michele De Sabata also explained, is a ravine. There are loops. A body can end up under a rock and remain stuck for who knows how long. The body of a local diver was found two years after his disappearance.
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THE INSPECTION AND THE CERTAINTY OF THE DELAY OF ASSISTANCE
The words of Cristian’s family lawyer are harsh and leave no room for doubt. In recent days he made an inspection of the river. “Going to the place was fundamental – says the lawyer Laghi -. I realized the efforts that the authorities are making to look for this poor boy, the family actually asked me to thank the Italian authorities”. So much tireless work now.But first, the lawyer is sure, there were some mistakes. “Another important aspect is that of the investigations – continues the lawyer – and there is one thing to say. From the first checks I was able to do, it appears absolutely clear that if the help had started promptly, that is when the poor girl requested it , today the kids would be at home with their parents.” The lawyer has no doubt that this aspect will emerge clearly.
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‘OMISSIONS’ OR ERRORS?
“It is evidence – he says – that will be made known at least to the investigators and it will be necessary to evaluate the degree of the omissions“. The lawyer uses the word ‘omissions’ because he refers to the words of the chief prosecutor of Udine, Massimo Lia, who in recent days at a press conference said that the responsibilities that the investigation (opened for manslaughter) is trying to clarify were “of the omissive type, not of commission”. But this will be the subject, it is to be expected, of a complex legal dispute. In fact, the lawyer Laghi observes: “Unfortunately, it was an omission that affected the rescue. I can say that I am deeply convinced of these circumstances”.
THE INVESTIGATION AND THE HELICOPTERS MESS
The prosecutor’s investigation is open for manslaughter and is trying to clarify whether the rescue machine had any faults or delays. The fundamental issue on which the investigations are focused is that which concerns the alert sent to the helicopters and which helicopter was brought into action. The most sensational element, at first glance, is the fact that the vehicle closest to the site of the tragedy, i.e. the regional Sores Fvg helicopter stationed in Campoformido, dedicated to medical interventions but equipped with a winch, was not initially notified. and with a mountain rescue operator on board. It was about twenty kilometers from Premiaracco. But this helicopter was not notified immediately. To be honest, it is not clear whether a helicopter was notified immediately. That is, when Patrizia Cormos, before being dragged away from the river together with Bianca and Cristian, makes the first (of four) phone calls to 112 (the unified emergency number): it is 1.29pm on Friday 31 May .
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THE HELICOPTER OF VENICE AND THE ONE OF CAMPOFORMIDO
After the alarm raised by Patrizia, but it is not clear after which phone call (the first was at 1.29pm, the last at 1.47pm), a helicopter was alerted, but that of the fire brigade based in Venice, that is, very far from Premiaracco and the gravel island on which the boys are trapped. It is the Drago 149 helicopter of the Fire Brigade, which takes off from Venice at 2.03pm and arrives on the river at 2.28pm. At that point it was all over for almost half an hour.The other helicopter, the one much closerto the site of the tragedy, took off from Campoformido at 2.07pm and arrived at Natisone at 2.14pm. Also too late to savethe boys, who were dragged away from the water a few minutes after 14. A few moments earlier the firefighters who arrived by land had tried to save them by lowering a rope from above, as well as a ladder. No way. But why was the nearest helicopter alerted in the second instance? And why, if the Sores station had been alerted at 1.48pm, did it leave 19 minutes later? It took him 7 minutes to reach the site of the tragedy from Campoformido. If he had left earlier, much earlier, this story would perhaps have a different ending.