Matteo Brandimarti, 12, was relaxing with his family at the spa of the Duca di Montefeltro Hotel near Rimini, Italy, when his leg got sucked into the nozzle of a hot tub
A 12-year-old boy has died after he was sucked into a jacuzzi filter at an Italian hotel.
Tragic Matteo Brandimarti was on holiday with his family over the Easter weekend at the Duca di Montefeltro Hotel in Pennabilli, near Rimini when the horrifying incident occurred.
The family had decided to relax by visiting the hotel’s spa on Easter Sunday morning when disaster struck. Matteo was enjoying the hot tub when his leg got sucked into the nozzle while the hydromassage function was active, trapping him.
He became trapped underwater for almost five minutes before hotel staff managed to free him by turning off the mains power supply to the jacuzzi pump.
Emergency services were called and gave CPR, managing to get the boy’s heart started again before he was flown to hospital by air ambulance.
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The 12-year-old was placed on life support equipment, but on April 9 medics declared that he was brain dead. Matteo had suffered cardiac arrest while he was under water and severe brain damage due to hypoxia.
Local media said his life support equipment will now be switched off and consent has been given by the boy’s parents for organ donation, the family’s lawyer told reporters.
An investigation has been launched by the Prosecutor’s Office into involuntary manslaughter, but there are currently no suspects. Facilities at the spa have been closed off for the past four days while the Local Health Authority examined the hot tub system and filed a report.
Experts were searching for any irregularities in the design of the nozzles and vents as well as grilles protecting the machinery. Matteo’s father posted a photo of his son on Facebook following the tragedy as condolences poured in.
“Beautiful sweet soul…may God hold you in his arms and always protect your parents,” one person wrote, while another added: “So much pain is unjust.”
