Five-year-old rescued alongside grandma after floating 2 miles out to sea
A little boy and his grandmother were swept two miles out to sea on a windy day while using an inflatable mattress to enjoy the warm weather.
The five-year-old boy was lying on the inflatable when his grandmother spotted him drifting away.
She wandered into the water to reach him, but couldn't make it back to shore. The pair then drifted two nautical miles out to shore.
Footage showed how a coastguard with a rubber ring around his torso reached the lad in the middle of the sea.
The youngster was lifted onto a patrol boat, where he was reunited with his grandmother, who had been rescued moments earlier.
The scare took place off Castellammare di Stabia, in the Bay of Naples.
The boy's grandfather had fallen ill on the beach during the ordeal but received assistance.
After reaching the shore, the rescued pair were handed over to the emergency services for a check-up.
The Italian Coastguard said it 'continues to urge the utmost caution and reminds the public: avoid using inflatable mattresses, flotation devices or small rubber dinghies in strong winds'.
The boy's dad, Gioacchino D'angelo, said: 'I want to thank you for saving my son and my mum. Hats off to you, thank you so much!'
In 2020, a four-year-old girl on a big inflatable unicorn was swept half a mile out to sea in Greece.
The child, who was in the sea off the coast of Antirrio, Corinth, had reportedly 'escaped her parents' attention' and floated away. More Trending
Local media reports said that when they realised their daughter was out of sight, her parents contacted the port authorities, who alerted the captain of the local ferry, the Salaminomachos.
The captain found the child in the middle of the sea and manoeuvred the inflatable unicorn to safety.
The girl was returned to her parents unharmed, but local media reported it was not the first time that beach-goers had been swept out to sea.
An elderly man apparently fell victim to the strong sea current on an inflatable mattress.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
MORE: Spain and Italy scorch through intense heatwave with temperatures set to soar to 42C
MORE: Europe hit by deadly heatwave with temperatures over 40C in holiday hotspots
MORE: What £40,000,000 could pay for instead of fund Jeff Bezos' wedding in Venice
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Metro
a day ago
- Metro
Boeing plane makes emergency landing after engine ‘bursts into flames'
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A Boeing passenger plane was forced to make an emergency landing after its engine appear to catch fire. The Düsseldorf-bound Condor Airlines flight departed from Corfu at 8.29pm local time on Saturday. But some of the 273 passengers aboard Flight DE 3665 noticed flames on the plane's engine, with bursts of flames spitting from the right wing. One passenger told Bild: 'Suddenly, the power went out for a few seconds, and we realised we were no longer climbing.' Another added: 'It was an incredibly horrible experience. I already sent goodbye texts because I thought, 'It's over now'.' Unverified videos shared on TikTok appeared to show the plane's wing flashing and flickering orange. Cabin crew noticed that the airflow of the right turbine was disrupted at an altitude of 36,000 feet, so pilots switched the engine off. The plane swerved to Brindisi in southern Italy to make an emergency landing after being in the air for 40 minutes, according to tracking service FlightRadar24. Passengers and the eight crew members were either placed in a hotel or spent the night at the airport terminal before a placement craft brought them to Germany the following day at 10.30am. Condor Airlines said none of the people aboard the flight were ever 'in danger'. The cause of the orange flashes, a spokesperson said, was a chemical reaction that happens inside the combustion chamber. They said: 'Flight DE3665 from Corfu (CFU) to Düsseldorf (DUS) diverted to Brindisi (BDS) on August 16. 'The reason was a parameter indication outside the normal range caused by a disturbance in the air flow supply to the engine. More Trending 'Due to the fault message, it was precautionarily decided to divert to Brindisi. The aircraft landed around 8.15pm at Brindisi Airport, and all guests disembarked the aircraft normally. 'Another Condor aircraft was dispatched to carry all guests to Düsseldorf on August 17.' They added: 'We apologise for any inconvenience caused, but the safety of our passengers and employees is always our top priority,' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Terrified families jump into the sea to escape raging wildfires in Greece MORE: Is it safe to travel to Zante? Latest Greece travel advice amid raging wildfires MORE: Grandad who was 'happiest he had been' since wife's death dies on holiday
Metro
2 days ago
- Metro
Work to fix 'botched' restoration of Virgin Mary statue leaves her 'even worse'
Spanish churchgoers have been left dismayed after a historical Virgin Mary statue which suffered 'botched' restoration work has returned from an emergency touch-up looking even more bizarre. The Macarena, a lifesized 17-century wooden effigy at the basilica of the same name in Seville, is considered a national treasure in the country. A routine restoration in June saw her take on a distinctly 'glamorous' look which sparked a protest of hundreds of outraged worshippers outside the basilica. Her eyelashes were lengthened to a point resembling false lashes, her skin was repainted paler and less swarthy, and various aspects of her dress and jewellery were changed. Worshippers told local media her facial expression 'completely changed' as a result, leaving her looking like a 'poor copy' of the original. One accused the lead restorer, 85-year-old Francisco Arquillo Torres, of 'murdering' the Macarena. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The Brotherhood of the Macarena shared a lengthy statement asking for 'forgiveness for the moral and devotional damage' caused by the work. The church closed and reopened on June 21 after having the restorers shorten the statue's eyelashes to correct an 'undesired effect'. Technicians from the Andalusian Institute of Historical Heritage (IAPH) were called in to supervise the process. But the new version immediately drew complaints from both churchgoers and officials on the church's board who thought it looked even worse. Jorge Pulgar Salgado, 35, a member of the church brotherhood, told the New York Times his first thought was: 'Mother, what happened to you?' One worshipper told Spanish newspaper El Pais: 'Her facial expression has completely changed. It pains me deeply to say it, but she looks like a poor copy of the original.' The restorers met again that night but changed her expression even more. Over the coming weeks anger built up among the congregation and other residents of Seville who saw photos on social media. At the end of the month the church leaders called a gathering of 1,800 brothers to church and apologised before announcing the statue would be withdrawn for major restorations. A leading figure from the IAPH suggested the restorers had bungled their work but that the statue had 'deeper' problems include a possible insect infestation and a crack across the Virgin's face. The latest restoration began last week and could last three months, according to sources who spoke to Spanish newspaper El Pais. The Macarena's restoration has been likened to the infamous repainting of a painting of Christ in northern Spain – although arguably not quite as bad. The fresco was dubbed 'Monkey Christ' after 82-year-old restorer Cecilia Giménez left the 'Ecce Homo' (Behold the Man) fresco in the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Mercy church in Borja with a distinctly simian look. Although the painting was in dire need of TLC, her brushwork completely stripped the original of human semblance, creating an ape-like face widely mocked around the world. Last year locals and restorers in another Spanish city were outraged after an 18th-century church underwent a major makeover which left its cherubs looking like creepy homunculi. Locals said their facial expressions looked unnatural and 'permanently surprised', while their lips glowed a lurid red against their now ghost-white skin. Earlier this year an 1820 statue of the Virgin Mary and Jesusin a village in Poland met a similar fate. The Blessed Mother was left with unnatural yellowish skin, exaggerated features and almost no chin. 'It looks more like Bart Simpson than The Mother Mary,' one user commented on a Facebook post by renovators unveiling the new figure. Jesus was also repainted with the same yellowish hue while the clothing on his lower half now resembled grey joggers. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Former mayor dies trying to save town from wildfires sweeping southern Europe MORE: Smoke from apocalyptic wildfires in Spain and Portugal causing overcast UK skies MORE: Venetians are up in arms after tourists expose 'secret' €2 gondola rides
The Independent
5 days ago
- The Independent
Mother of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos dies aged 78
Jackie Bezos, mother of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, has died at the age of 78. She 'died peacefully in her Miami home' on Thursday following a long battle with Lewy Body Dementia, diagnosed in 2020. Jeff Bezos announced her death in a heartfelt Instagram post, expressing profound love and gratitude for her life and dedication. He noted that she became a mother at 17 and praised her fierce commitment to loving and nurturing her family. Jackie Bezos is survived by her husband, Mike, children Jeff, Christina, and Mark, 11 grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.
