Lake Garda Safety Drill Tests Emergency Response and Tourist Reactivity
Alarm and safety drill on Lake Garda
Yesterday afternoon, an alert was issued in the upper Garda, in the section of lake facing Toscolano. The alarm was triggered shortly after 5:30 pm: some holidaymakers reported to the highway patrol and the Salò Carabinieri of flames on a boat.
In reality, it was a drill by the Capitaneria di Porto (Harbor Master’s Office) aimed at “testing” the reactions of tourists and visitors to an unusual and potentially dangerous situation, as well as the response time of nearby vessels to the distressed boat.
Results of the exercise and reactions
“The exercise – confirm the Capitaneria di Porto di Bogliaco in Gargnano – went very well. The tourists responded perfectly by immediately calling the emergency centers of the law enforcement agencies that had been informed, and everyone responded promptly.” Had this been an actual emergency, the risks would have been mitigated by the flawless intervention of the rescuers.
Operations and equipment used
The Capitaneria was in the water with two vessels: the Guardia Costiera Cp859 and the Papa Sierra 433 of the Verona Police Department. A total of 8 personnel were involved in the exercise.
When the vessels were off Toscolano, three red signal flares were launched. The bright glow in the sky drew the attention of people present on the lake.
Within moments, numerous private boats and even an Azienda di Navigazione Navigarda ferry approached the Capitaneria vessels. Soon after, the Volontari del Garda also intervened with a new inflatable boat equipped with a pump.
