Ascoli, August 18, 2026 – The joint intervention of the 118 emergency service and the carabinieri prevented a tragedy that this afternoon was about to unfold on the Porta Maggiore bridge, in the center of Ascoli Piceno. A 52-year-old man, deeply distressed after revealing that he had discovered he was suffering from a serious illness, had decided to take his own life by jumping from the parapet of the bridge. An extremely delicate situation, resolved thanks to the promptness of the rescue teams and, above all, the professionalism of the operators who managed to keep telephone contact with the man until the rescuers arrived.
The man’s call to 118
It was the 52-year-old himself, in fact, who called the 118 operations center in Ascoli, communicating the place where he was and clearly implying his intentions. A call that immediately triggered the emergency response. On the other end of the phone, the operators maintained constant dialogue with the man, trying to calm him and gain precious time, while the rescue teams were alerted. A job carried out with great calm and professionalism, drawing on experience gained in managing emergency situations. The goal was to prevent the man from taking an irreversible action and to keep him engaged on the phone until the arrival of medical personnel and law enforcement.
The arrival of the rescue teams
Meanwhile, the emergency response was already underway and, within minutes, the Potes crew and a patrol of the carabinieri arrived on the scene, facing a particularly critical situation. The 52-year-old had already reached the parapet of the bridge and was in a state of severe agitation, with a real risk that he might carry out the announced act. The intervention of the rescuers was therefore decisive; they managed to bring the man to a calmer state, persuading him to move away from the parapet and get into the ambulance.
Transport to the hospital
The man was transported to the Mazzoni hospital in Ascoli Piceno, where he was entrusted to the care of medical staff. Doctors and specialists will now take care of his situation and evaluate the most appropriate path to help him face the difficult moment he is experiencing. A tragedy averted, therefore, thanks to a phone call that allowed rescuers to intervene promptly and a teamwork effort that, in a matter of minutes, turned a dramatic situation into a rescue.
