Ravenna, July 14, 2026 – What was supposed to be a quiet day in the waters of the Punta Campanella Marine Protected Area, between Sorrento and Massa Lubrense (province of Naples), turned into a tragedy. Last Sunday a diver lost his life. Luigi Belardo, 54, originally from Casandrino but residing in the Ravenna area, after diving with the other members of his group, did not resurface: the lifeless body was found only two hours after the alarm.
Head and face injuries
It is now up to the Coast Guard personnel, under the command of Andrea Pellegrino, to carry out the delicate task of reconstructing the causes of the diver’s death. The body showed some wounds. In particular, there are head and face injuries consistent with impact with a passing boat, possibly also with a propeller. At the moment, however, no hypothesis is excluded. Meanwhile, the Torre Annunziata prosecutor’s office has ordered an autopsy to determine the cause of death.
Did not resurface after the dive
Luigi was performing a dive – authorized and marked on the surface by the appropriate buoy – with other companions, who lost sight of him and raised the alarm. Underwater searches then allowed the recovery of the 54-year-old’s body.
Regarding the head injuries, the hypothesis is that, upon surfacing, he may have been hit by the propeller of a boat that approached the mainland, exceeding the safety limits set by regulations.
Another hypothesis is that the man suffered a medical emergency and may have injured himself on the rocks in the area. The autopsy will have to clarify the doubts about the causes of death, which occurred on a day – Sunday – when boat traffic in the area is particularly intense.
