Moldovan father Dumitru Abuzan dies rescuing daughters in Po River
Dumitru Abuzan, a 34‑year‑old man of Moldovan origin living near Bologna, drowned on 30 July 2026 after saving his six‑year‑old daughter and a friend from the strong current of the Po River at Calto, province of Rovigo. The two girls reached the shore safely, but Abuzan was swept away and did not re‑emerge. Rescue operations involved the fire brigades of Castelmassa and Mestre, an emergency helicopter from the Bologna flight department, divers from the regional fire‑fighter unit, the Hydra boat equipped with sonar, Suem 118 medical personnel and local Carabinieri. After about 24 hours of searching, his body was recovered on 31 July around noon and handed over to the medical‑legal authority. The tragedy has renewed attention on the hidden dangers of the Po River during low‑water periods.
The incident was reported by several Italian news outlets and also covered in Romanian media, emphasizing the cross‑border nature of the victim’s background.
Entities: 34‑year‑old Moldovan man · Bologna fire department helicopter · Bologna helicopter (Fire Department) · Calto (Rovigo) · Calto, Rovigo province · Carabinieri · Castelmassa fire brigade · Dumitru Abuzan · Italian Fire Brigade · Moldovan father (unnamed) · Po River · River Po
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 2 SOURCES] He rescued a six‑year‑old daughter and a ten‑year‑old friend before disappearing. (both)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Previous drownings in the Po River include an Austrian man in 2006 and a Chinese teenager in 2007. (only_first)
- [● 7 SOURCES] Personnel from Suem 118 and the Carabinieri were present at the rescue operation. (existing claim)
- [● 7 SOURCES] The Castelmassa fire brigade, supported by a Bologna helicopter, deployed two divers to the site. (existing claim)
- [● 2 SOURCES] A 34-year-old Moldovan man residing in Bologna jumped into the River Po at Calto to rescue his daughters. (both)
- [● 7 SOURCES] Divers from the Mestre fire brigade later joined the search. (existing claim)
- [● 7 SOURCES] Rescue operations began at 17:30 on 30 July 2026. (existing claim)
- [● 7 SOURCES] A Moldovan man, resident in Bologna, jumped into the Po River at Calto to rescue his six‑year‑old daughter and a ten‑year‑old friend. (multiple articles)
- [● 7 SOURCES] He was swept away by the current and disappeared. (multiple articles)
- [● 7 SOURCES] He rescued the two girls and brought them to safety. (multiple articles)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The body of the man was recovered on 31 July 2026. (multiple articles)