Fano, August 13, 2026 – It is Gabrio Bricca, 68 years old, from Città di Castello, the man who died yesterday morning in the sea of Torrette di Fano. The news of his sudden passing has caused deep sorrow in the tifernate community, where Bricca was well known and appreciated.
Printer, he was a familiar figure in the historic center, where he used to walk in the morning between the Mattonata district and the city squares. Many remember him today for his kindness, his smile and his human qualities, but also for his strong connection with the city’s associative and sports life and with the traditions of Città di Castello.
The tragedy at Torrette
Bricca was in Torrette on vacation with his wife and a couple of friends and had been frequenting that location for some time. Yesterday morning, around 11, he had separated from the group to take a swim in front of Bagni Ermete, while the others stayed closer to the shore.
The sixty-eight-year-old was noticed while trying to return to land: despite his strokes, however, he remained essentially stationary. In that stretch of sea, the current can indeed make returning difficult and would have progressively pushed him towards the outside of the reef.
Rescue efforts were immediately launched. When he was reached, Bricca was still conscious and initially managed to cling to an oar before losing consciousness. The situation quickly became critical and lifeguards from the nearby establishment were also called in for support.
The desperate attempts to save him
The sixty-eight-year-old was finally loaded onto a barge and brought ashore, where resuscitation maneuvers immediately began, including the use of a defibrillator and the help of some doctors and nurses who were on the beach.
However, upon the arrival of the 118 emergency personnel, there was nothing more to be done for Bricca. The medical staff confirmed his death. The Coast Guard also intervened on site for investigations. The reconstruction suggests that the tragedy was caused by a sudden illness while the man was in the water, and not by drowning.
“Goodbye Gabrio, we will not forget you”
Today, the institutions of Città di Castello also remember Bricca. The mayor Luca Secondi, on behalf of the council, and the president of the city council Luciano Bacchetta, his contemporary and longtime friend, expressed their deepest condolences to the family: “Goodbye Gabrio, we will not forget you”.
The Mattonata District Society joins in the mourning. President Dino Braganti fondly and emotionally recalls Bricca’s sense of belonging and his deep attachment to the traditions and customs of the historic district, where he was often a protagonist in the most significant events and manifestations.
A sudden death that occurred far from home, in one of the vacation spots that Bricca regularly frequented, and which today leaves two communities in mourning.
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