A 26-year-old man was saved by firefighters on Tuesday evening after ending up in the River Arno near the Ponte Santa Trinita, in the historic centre of Florence.
According to the fire brigade, the man was being carried away by the current, which has been particularly strong in recent days due to heavy rain that has raised water levels in the river.
A full rescue team was deployed, including divers and a boat unit. A firefighter who happened to be off duty and was nearby reached the man from the riverbank and provided initial assistance while colleagues prepared the recovery operation.
The rescue was completed using a rope manoeuvre anchored to a ladder truck, part of the specialist SAF (speleo-alpine-fluvial) unit trained for complex river and height interventions. The man, who was at risk of drowning, was placed on a stretcher and handed over to paramedics from the 118 emergency medical service for checks.
Local police were also present to manage traffic in the area during the operation. The circumstances in which the man fell into the river were not immediately clarified.
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