Indian man, 47, drowns in Adda river rescuing brother and nephew; 4-year-old dies later

The incident

At around 12:30 on Saturday 18 July 2026, a family of Indian origin gathered at Golfo Rivolta, a riverside clearing on the Adda where the provinces of Cremona and Milan meet. The father, 45, who lives in Rivolta d'Adda, was the first to enter the water. His 4-year-old son followed him in but almost immediately found himself in serious difficulty. The father's brother, a 47-year-old Indian national (some reports give his age as 46), who resided in Portugal and had travelled to Italy to spend a few days' holiday with the family, threw himself into the river without a moment's hesitation. He succeeded in reaching his brother and the child and pushing them back toward the bank, but the current dragged him away. He drowned, probably also overcome by the physical exertion.

The rescue operation

The alarm triggered a large-scale response. Carabinieri from the Rivolta d'Adda station and the Pioltello company arrived, together with fire service divers from Milan, several ambulances, and two medical helicopters that took off from Milan and Como. The site is notoriously difficult to access: rescuers had to cover a long stretch on foot before reaching the water. The uncle's body was located roughly 300 metres downstream from the point where he was last seen, on the bank that falls within the territory of the Metropolitan City of Milan. There was nothing that could be done for him. The child was recovered in desperate condition. Emergency doctors carried out resuscitation manoeuvres for a prolonged period, first on the gravel bank and then during the helicopter transfer to the Papa Giovanni XXIII hospital in Bergamo. Every attempt proved futile. At about 14:30, the medical team declared the child dead.

A popular but perilous spot

Golfo Rivolta is frequented by many during the summer months, but it conceals insidious currents and irregular depths. The Adda's flow can change rapidly, and the remote, hard-to-reach location makes timely rescue extremely difficult. The tragedy has once again highlighted the risks of swimming in unsupervised river areas, even those that appear calm.

The family and the investigation

The father, who survived thanks to his brother's intervention, was treated for shock. The bodies of the 47-year-old and the 4-year-old were made available to the judicial authority and taken to the morgue. Carabinieri are continuing their investigation to piece together the exact dynamics of the accident. The uncle, the father and the child are all of Indian origin. The uncle had been living in Portugal and was in Italy for a short holiday.