Luigi Cavallari missing in Italy's Lake Vico, extensive sonar and drone search continues

Luigi Cavallari, 84, the husband of Italy’s minister for Family, Fertility and Equal Opportunities Eugenia Roccella, disappeared on 27 June after falling into Lake Vico in the Lazio region. Despite immediate alarms raised by the minister, rescue teams from the fire brigade, carabinieri, state police and the Guardia di Finanza mobilised on the lake’s shore.

Divers from Lazio, Lombardy, Calabria and Sardinia, specialised alpine‑river units, and technical teams equipped with deep‑water sonar, sub‑mersible drones and remote‑controlled devices have been searching continuously, day and night. Visibility below 15 m is poor and the lake reaches depths of almost 50 m, forcing a shift from visual to instrumental searches. Adverse weather has further hampered operations, yet all efforts continue without interruption. No trace of Cavallari has been found after a week, and officials consider a sudden medical episode, possibly linked to thermal shock, as a plausible cause. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described the situation as “painful hours” for the minister.