Tragedy at sea in Ladispoli: woman dies after being slammed against the rocks by the waves

She had dived with a friend but that stretch of sea is very dangerous because there is a strong current: the woman, a teacher, was dragged near the rocks and was no longer able to get away

BOLOGNA – The sea was rough, or perhaps there was too much current: what should have been a swim turned into a tragedy in Ladispoli, Lazio, on the coast where the Torre Flavia nature reserve is located . The one who lost her life was a 62-year-old woman, Maria Cesaria Petracca, who taught at the Petrolini middle school in Ronciglione in the Viterbo area. The woman, dragged by the current and pushed by the waves, crashed violently against the rocks (from which she was unable to move away) and then drowned. With her there was a friend who was injured and was then transported to the Aurelia Hospital in Rome where she is still hospitalized in a state of shock. She is also a teacher, 52 years old: it was her screams that raised the alarm. The two friends had gone to the seaside after the end of the ballots for a day of relaxation. That stretch of sea, however, is known to be dangerous because the water suddenly becomes deep and there is no assistance for swimmers. But perhaps the two women didn’t realize it.

Three local police officers who were carrying out a patrol along the beach intervened to help the two women: they dived to try to reach her, but there was no help for the 62-year-old nothing to do. The three officers also activated rescue operations: the firefighters, 118 and the Civitavecchia coast guard arrived on site. Investigations are underway, coordinated by the Civitavecchia prosecutor’s office, to understand the dynamics of the accident. It will also be necessary to understand if there were signs indicating the absence of lifeguards or the potential danger of the sea.

(Photo from Wikipedia)