Civil Protection’s Summer Lake Garda Rescue Report
The Civil Protection team for the lower lake and inland area has compiled an assessment of the recently concluded season.
Report on the “Safe Beaches 2001” Operation
“The “Safe Beaches 2001” operation,” explains team leader Enrico Fasoli, “saw us engaged on multiple fronts. We conducted interventions both day and night; our volunteers, about 80 in total, took turns, and none were ever unavailable—demonstrating the deep commitment to voluntary service that civil protection personnel dedicate to helping people in difficulty both in water and on land.”
The “Safe Beaches” operation, a service initiated in collaboration with the Municipal Administration of Peschiera, aimed to provide immediate and skilled assistance to bathers at the Peschiera municipal beach, Cappuccini.
During July and August, the team — available 24 hours a day — was equipped with a high-yield inflatable boat capable of handling rough weather. The interventions were numerous: mostly, they involved rescuing boats with engine failures and retrieving bathers in distress; on many occasions, medical interventions were necessary, such as cases involving individuals suffering from collapses, heart attacks, heat stroke, or heat exhaustion.
Rescue and Salvage Operations
The most challenging operation involved rescuing four children on an overturned dinghy that, for unknown reasons, had capsized. Fortunately, the children had clung to the boat, awaiting rescue.
The operation also involved rescue dogs, the famous Terranova, from the diving team of the Verona Alpini section, and Verona Emergenza for medical assistance. The “Safe Beaches” effort also included personnel from the National Rescue Society, boats from the Carabinieri, and the State Police with a high-speed motorboat capable of reaching people in distress in minutes.
Enrico Fasoli, who leads the team, criticizes the behavior of many summer visitors using boats on the lake: they do not respect navigation regulations, he explains, “sometimes risking the safety of bathers by passing too close to beaches or performing maneuvers that clearly endanger small boats, not considering that the lake is patrolled by law enforcement vessels.”
After the summer season, the volunteers of the Civil Protection team will not remain idle: “We will always be ready to intervene whenever necessary,” Fasoli affirms.
“Even during past winters, we participated in numerous rescue operations on the lake and on land, and this year, we will continue our volunteer work, serving others with humility and a spirit of sacrifice — just as our mentors taught us.”
This positive outlook from the Civil Protection section of Peschiera, together with the National Rescue Society, the Carabinieri, and the State Police team, has contributed to making Lake Garda safer.
