Elderly Woman Drowns at Lake Near Fasano Amid Heatwave
She drowned a meter from the shore, probably due to a sudden illness. Marcella Negri, an 80-year-old from Fasano, lost her life yesterday afternoon, around 3 p.m., while she was swimming in the lake. Several bathers noticed her lying in the water.
They immediately intervened to provide assistance and performed artificial respiration, but there was nothing they could do: the woman joins the long list of lake victims. Originally from Gardone Riviera, Negri had worked as a seamstress for many years.
During the summer, she never missed the chance to go to the lake and cool off. In Fasano, there are two popular beaches: the Lido and the one at the small harbor, near the former Villa Bassetti, right at the border with the territory of Toscolano Maderno. The victim was very attached to the latter.
The place and the context
A cozy spot where the people of Fasano gather in the evenings, often for a comedy show or a concert. Yesterday afternoon, she was seen walking under the scorching sun. Mrs. Marcella was in good shape and looked much younger than her 80 years listed on her ID card.
She lived with her husband on via del Portizzolo, a small street that climbs from via 45 bis and the square towards the hill, about 200 meters from the scene of the tragedy. No one saw her dive into the water. Two women from the town noticed her body lying in the water and raised the alarm.
Rescue efforts and death
A young German man intervened, performing artificial respiration. Seeing that he could not revive her, he was overwhelmed with despair. Meanwhile, an ambulance arrived. The doctor could only confirm her death.
The woman was transferred to the mortuary at the hospital in Salò. It’s possible that the heat played a cruel trick on her. Probably, Negri had a sudden fainting spell while cooling off and fell face down, drowning a meter from the shore.
Memories and testimonies
“I had also met her on Wednesday,” — recalls Mario Erculiani, co-owner of Hotel Saturnia in Fasano —. She was going to the beach. She told me: “I’m going to breathe some fresh air; I can’t stay inside the house.”
She loved the lake and never missed a chance to swim. She knew the danger of the very steep and rugged bottom and never ventured far from the shore.
Emilio Bartolini, her husband, learned the news in shock. He was talking right in the lobby of “Saturnia” when a flustered woman arrived. “Marcella drowned,” — she said, not knowing who she was talking to. The man was stunned and unconvinced.
He then hurried outside to see the only thing left was to identify the body. The couple had no children. August has started terribly.
On Wednesday, the season’s first drowning occurred. The victim was a German tourist: Stefan Nikavak, 50 years old, who was swimming about fifty meters from the beach of Torri, on the Veronese shore. He was seen gasping and thrashing, calling for help. His body was recovered by the Volontari del Garda late yesterday afternoon.
