Ravenna, August 5, 2026 – After the rescue of a 4-year-old child on the free beach of Porto Corsini in June, today the nurse Serena Opipari was received at the Town Hall by the mayor of Ravenna, Alessandro Barattoni, and the Health Policy Councillor Roberta Mazzoni as a sign of gratitude. “Gestures like this should never be taken for granted” was the message that emerged from the meeting.
The message from the mayor and the councillor
“We are grateful to Serena Opipari for her timely intervention, which saved the life of a child who suffered cardiac arrest while in the water – observe Barattoni and Mazzoni –. Her quick response and preparation prevented this episode from turning into a tragedy. We know that caring for others is implicit in those who work in healthcare professions, but gestures like this, performed in a context completely different from the work environment, should never be taken for granted and deserve the attention and praise of the entire community that we represent here today, for the courage and promptness of the intervention. Not turning away is a powerful gesture that makes us human and so thanks to Serena Opipari and to those who still consider it a value to respond to a cry for help today.”
The heroic rescue in June
Serena Opipari, 32 years old, is the young nurse from the Policlinico Sant’Orsola in Bologna who, while off duty, saved the life of a 4-year-old child, resuscitating him on the free beach of Porto Corsini in June.
The little boy had risked drowning during a swim in the sea and she immediately rushed over when she noticed the situation. “We were about to leave when I heard someone shouting ‘help’ and the people on the beach alarmed – the nurse from Sant’Orsola recounted –. There was a man coming out of the water carrying a child in his arms. He was unconscious, purple, and in cardiac arrest, not breathing.” She then performed a 5-minute cardiac massage and managed to save him. That day a tragedy could have occurred, but instead a miracle happened.
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