Montecchio Precalcino (Vicenza), August 4, 2026 — It was supposed to be a day of vacation and carefreeness, spent together with his best friend in the pool. Instead, it turned into a tragedy that shook two communities, that of Vicenza and that of Trento.
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Leonardo Cortese, 19 years old, died yesterday afternoon, Monday, August 3, after a sudden illness struck him while he was in the water at the ‘Blueplanet 4.0′ pool in Montecchio Precalcino.
The young man, born in Rovereto and residing in Trento, had just finished his studies at the ‘Galileo Galilei’ scientific high school. He had come to Vicenza to spend a few days of vacation with a friend from Trento, whose family is originally from Villaverla. The two had chosen the swimming center on via Venezia to spend a few hours relaxing before resuming their summer plans.
The dynamics of the accident
The accident happened shortly after 4 PM. According to an initial reconstruction, Leonardo had dived into the pool swimming the entire length of the pool underwater, a gesture he had already done in the past. However, once he reached the opposite side, he did not resurface. The first to notice that something was wrong was his friend, who had dived with him and began asking the lifeguards for help.
The facility staff intervened within seconds, bringing the boy to the poolside and immediately starting resuscitation maneuvers, including the use of a defibrillator. Emergency medical personnel from Suem 118 and the Verona Emergency Helicopter quickly arrived on the scene. For many minutes, doctors and nurses tried to save his life, but every effort proved useless. The doctor could only declare his death.
The most likely hypothesis is a sudden cardiac arrest, but investigations will clarify the causes of death.
The file opened by the Vicenza Prosecutor’s Office
The Vicenza Prosecutor’s Office has opened a file. The on-duty public prosecutor, Hans Roderich Blattner, conducted an inspection of the facility and collected initial testimonies. The investigations were entrusted to the carabinieri of the Thiene Company, with the support of the Scientific Investigations Section, who worked to reconstruct the details of the incident. Among the hypotheses under consideration is also ordering an autopsy. After the tragedy, silence fell over the pool. The many bathers present were asked to leave, while the sports center staff remained in shock for a long time over what had happened.
The Interrail trip to celebrate graduation
The news quickly reached Trento, where Leonardo was well known. As Il Gazzettino recalls, those who had met him at school remember him as a “lively, sunny, and curious” boy. Just a few days ago, he had returned from an Interrail trip organized with friends to celebrate graduation. After this short vacation in Vicenza, he was supposed to leave for a sailing trip. A project tragically left unfinished, leaving his father Maurizio, mother Sarah, sister Nirupa, and all who loved him in grief.
