The body of the man who went missing yesterday has been found, swallowed by quicksand in the Giacopiane lake, an artificial basin in the Municipality of Borzonasca, in the hinterland of eastern Genoa. The body of 38-year-old Gabriele Zolezzi was recovered by firefighters after hours of searching.
There was a bathing ban
A sports enthusiast, the man was well-known in the Val d’Aveto and lived in the hamlet of Amborzasco. He was familiar with the Giacopiane reservoir, where the signage indicates a “bathing ban and the danger of quicksand.” It is possible that his knowledge of the area led him to underestimate the risk. Zolezzi had gone to the lake to swim with a friend, just as he had done many times before. According to initial accounts, at the moment of exiting the water, the 38-year-old approached the forbidden area and disappeared within seconds, swallowed by the mud. The initial rescue efforts by the firefighters and the carabinieri were in vain; it took several hours to locate and recover the body.
Investigations underway
The carabinieri from the Sestri Levante (Genoa) company, responsible for the area, are conducting investigations to clarify the exact dynamics and whether all safety regulations, given the danger of quicksand, were implemented by the managers of the artificial lake.
The Giacopiane Reservoir
The reservoir is located at an altitude of 1,015 meters, and just below it lies a smaller pond known as Pian Sapeio. The two basins, constructed in the 1920s, are arranged in a stepped manner, with the larger one above the smaller to facilitate the flow of water and harness the drop for electricity generation. The lower lake is enclosed by a barrel dam that marks the southern side, while the larger reservoir is also closed by a dam, positioned on the southern side and topped by a Liberty-style small temple. On the northern side, there is a safety dam for flood periods. Various excursions are possible from the lakes (Monte Bregaceto, which overlooks it, Prato Mollo, Monte Aiona, and Monte Penna, already in Val d’Aveto). Access to the area of Giacopiane lake, which is restricted to campers and caravans, requires prior authorization for a fee issued by the municipality of Borzonasca.
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