Stramaccioni saves two girls from drowning in Gargano sea rescue | OneFootball

For a day, Andrea Stramaccioni was more than a former coach, more than a familiar face in football. He was a man who acted on instinct, risking his own safety to save two lives.

Stramaccioni, courage at sea: the former Inter coach saves two girls from drowning in Gargano

It happened in Puglia, at Baia di Sfinale, a beautiful cove in Gargano that became the scene of a gesture as courageous as it was humble.

The rescue: a decisive intervention in a critical situation It was a day like many others, with rough seas and wind making the bay's waters more treacherous. Stramaccioni was on the beach with his family, under the umbrella, when he noticed a sudden commotion at the water's edge. A lifeguard, already in the water, was desperately whistling. Two girls, aged 17 and 19, both from Bolzano, were drowning, dragged by the current towards a dangerous area among the rocks.

Without hesitation, Stramaccioni rushed into the water to help. “The lifeguard was alone, he could never have managed,” he recounted. “He asked me to reach the older girl, he would take care of the other.” The conditions were extreme: rough sea, high waves, no support, no lifebuoys or ropes.

The first girl, though frightened, was reassured and accompanied to a safer area. But the second was in shock, unable to stay afloat, already weakened by the water she had swallowed. “The situation was desperate, she kept disappearing among the waves,” Stramaccioni explained. “The lifeguard couldn’t handle her, so I went back.”

The extreme action: “I threw her into a cove to save her” With clarity and composure, Stramaccioni convinced the girl to trust him. The only option was to use a small cove among the rocks. “I grabbed her and practically threw her inside. Then, sucked in by the water, I lost my bearings and ended up against the rocks.” With his arms and legs injured, he was helped by people on the shore with a rope. “Only then did I learn that the girl was safe.”

The reflection: “I’m not a hero, but the value of life must be remembered” Symbolically awarded by the Coast Guard with the lifeguard's red shirt, Stramaccioni refused any label of heroism. “I don’t feel like a hero. But I know that without that intervention, those girls wouldn’t have made it. And with that sea, the lifeguard alone wouldn’t have stood a chance.”

The story ends with a deep reflection:

“I did it out of a sense of protection. As if my wife or one of my children had been in the water. My son asked me: ‘Dad, what if you had died?’. It’s a question that stays with you. But one thing must be clear to those who read: the most precious asset we have is life. Let’s never forget it.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.