Wind and waves on Lake Como, 45 people rescued

Forty-five people in boats were rescued from yesterday evening to this morning on Lake Como due to the bad weather, with wind gusts reaching 30 knots, i.e. over 50 kilometres per hour, causing swells with waves more than a metre high. Of these, 36 were rescued by the Coast Guard's two naval units, while a further nine were brought to safety by the fire brigade, auxiliary coastguards and the Como Air Rescue boat. In several cases the boats were stranded on reefs and between trees, in other cases the boats had broken down or were unable to manoeuvre and thus risked colliding with rocky cliffs.

The rescue operations for the 12 boats that ran into trouble were coordinated by the Salò Coast Guard operations room, which has had this task since 15 June. And it is precisely the coast guard that invites yachtsmen, before going out on a boat, to check the efficiency of the boat, fuel, and safety equipment. And also to check the weather forecast and to carry a phone with an internet connection, which allows the rescue services to precisely pinpoint the position of those calling for help

There were two fire brigade interventions during the night in the province of Belluno for two landslides. The first intervention at 5.15 a.m. in the hamlet of Moline in the municipality of Sovramonte, with debris affecting regional road 50 at km 56+300. Together with personnel from the Feltre detachment, Veneto strada technicians intervened with a wheel loader to clear the road. Similar intervention was also carried out on the Trento side of the road with another earth moving vehicle. Shortly before 6 a.m., the fire brigade of the Basso Feltino intervened for another landslide in the hamlet of Arina di Lamon, along provincial road 40 at km 2+200, which blocked the road. In this case, too, a Veneto strade vehicle intervened to free the roadways.

Firefighters have also been in action since 4 a.m. in the municipalities of Asiago and Gallio, in the province of Vicenza, due to the flooding of two torrents caused by heavy rain. There are no reports of people being injured. More than 60 calls have reached the 115 operations room, mainly for flooding of streets, shops, basements, garages and premises below street level. The Asiago fire brigade's rescue unit has been supplemented by sending teams from Vicenza and volunteer personnel from the Thiene and Recoaro detachments. The situation is improving and the watercourses are flowing back into the riverbeds. In the Schio area, the fire brigade intervened for a landslide in Contrà Masetto and along the road from San Rocco di Tretto to Schio, where the road was blocked. During the night, a tree blocked traffic along the ring road in Schio. Interventions were carried out in the Schio area for water damage.