DADADEL
Flash flood tragedy struck as three friends were seen embracing just moments before being swept away by a sudden torrent. The incident took place in northern Italy, capturing the heart-wrenching moment of their bond amid the chaos.
Three friends in their twenties were trapped after a sudden surge in water levels in the Natisone River near Udine on May 31.
Patrizia Cormos, 20, her friend Bianca Doros, 23, and Doros’ boyfriend, Cristian Molnar, 25, decided to take a walk along the Natisone River near Udine on the afternoon of Friday, May 31.
As the water levels rose to dangerous heights, the group became trapped and urgently signaled for help from nearby passersby.
When firefighters arrived, they instructed the friends to stay together from a nearby bridge and attempted to throw them a rope.
According to local reports, the trio was unable to reach the rope and were swept away by the floodwaters in front of the rescuers.
The bodies of two women believed to be Cormos and Doros, were found in separate locations about 1 km downstream on Sunday, June 2, as reported by the local newspaper Corriere della Sera.
Doros, originally from Romania, had arrived in Italy to visit her parents. Cormos was a student at the Academy of Fine Arts in Udine. She had asked her mother if she could join her friends for a drive to celebrate finishing an important exam.
The friends reportedly parked near the river to explore a small beach and take photos. The crew who found the bodies described the scene as “heartbreaking.”
The friends were seen in a final embrace before being swept away by the flash flood tragedy.
The search for 25-year-old Molnar, also Romanian, continues, with a team of 40 rescuers working at the site.
The last footage of the friends shows them hugging while standing on a tiny island in the river.
“The main element is not so much the rain; it is the power of the river and the very strong currents. There are gorges, there is a backwash of water, and even for the experts, it is a particularly treacherous task,” explained Giorgio Basile, the chief of the provincial firefighters in Udine.
The bodies of 20-year-old Patrizia Cormos and 23-year-old Bianca Doros were found near the river, and rescuers continue to search for 25-year-old Cristian Molnar.
Michele De Sabata, the mayor of Premariacco, described the tragedy as unfolding in “only minutes.” He noted, “They found themselves in an unpredictable situation. Those who live in Premariacco know the river and how conditions can change quickly. The three kids arrived when it was sunny. They could not have known what was about to happen. It only took minutes.”
In the past two weeks, heavy floods have severely impacted northern Italy, including areas like Milan, Varese, and Cremona.
Violent storms also hit the Friuli and Veneto regions in mid-May, and more rain is forecasted for northern Italy this week, according to The Telegraph.
People reacted with sorrow to the heartbreaking news of the young friends’ flash flood tragedy.
