The fatal dive into the murky waters of Italian politics just got deeper. A new report confirms what many in the rescue community had whispered for months: the divers sent to retrieve victims from the August cable car disaster were equipped with substandard safety gear. The document, obtained by this paper, paints a picture of a system under pressure. Cuts to budgets. A reliance on outdated equipment. A culture of 'make do and mend' that proved fatal for one rescuer, Andrea Rocco, who suffered severe decompression sickness during the operation.
Sources close to the inquiry say the report is a 'damning indictment' of the Italian Coast Guard's diving unit. It highlights a chronic lack of funding. A failure to replace life-saving equipment. And a management culture that prioritised appearances over safety. One offshore source put it bluntly: 'They were sent down there with gear that wouldn't pass muster at a weekend scuba club.'
For the government, this is a political grenade. The transport minister, Graziano Delrio, is already under fire. The opposition is calling for his head. The prime minister's office is scrambling. But the real focus now is on the families of the victims. They want answers. And they want accountability.
The report itself is forensic. It lists 15 specific safety failures. A broken rebreather. A faulty communication system. And a critical delay in the deployment of a back-up dive team. The rescuer who confirmed the report, a senior member of the dive team who spoke on condition of anonymity, said morale was rock bottom. 'We were told the equipment was serviced. It wasn't. We were told we had the best kit. We didn't. We were let down.'
This story is far from over. The opposition is demanding a full parliamentary inquiry. The prime minister has promised a 'swift and thorough' investigation. But for the divers who risked their lives, and for the families who lost loved ones, the damage is done. The report is published. The blame game begins.
