Rimini, August 21, 2026 – “She was the one trying to keep him afloat while the car was sinking.” This is the image that Roberto Galanti has in front of his eyes when he thinks back to those moments. On Wednesday, together with his friend Gian Pietro Tonti, he did not hesitate to dive into the port of Cattolica after seeing a Golf end up in the water with a woman and her partner on board.
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The car in the port waters
Ismail Picari, a 45-year-old Albanian, had deliberately thrown the car into the waters of the port of
Cattolica with his wife still on board. The carabinieri had waited for him for almost five hours. Around 9 p.m. on Wednesday, he reappeared. Shirtless, he was returning to his home in San Giovanni when the officers stopped him.
The arrest
For Picari, the suspect detention for attempted murder was therefore triggered. He was ordered to be transferred to the Rimini prison. The escape had started immediately after the rescue. The Golf had ended up in the body of water at the entrance of the dock, at a point where the depth is 3 meters. Two fishermen jumped into the water to help the husband and wife.
Interview with the fishermen who rescued the wife and husband
Roberto and Gian Pietro, both fishermen, have a long experience at sea behind them which proved valuable in those tense minutes. First to reach the two in the water, then to manage to bring them back to the quay.
“We were in a nearby bar and suddenly we heard a dull thud,” he recalls. “We saw people on the quay running back and forth, many with phones in hand. They were agitated. We understood that something had happened.”
What scene did you find when you arrived?
“The two had already resurfaced from the water. They had managed to get out of the cabin, but the situation was dramatic. She was completely panicked and screaming, while he was clearly struggling, he seemed unable to swim. It was she, who with difficulty, kept him afloat.”
At that point, he jumped into the water with his friend.
“We did not waste time.”
Was the man conscious?
“Yes, but he never spoke. His eyes were wide open, he seemed completely in shock, almost in a trance. She kept screaming, while he did not react.”
Then he ran away.
“As soon as he reached the quay, he climbed up and then fled at full speed. In the water, he clung to every hold, also because he struggled to float, outside he ran.”
And the woman?
“For her, we asked for a rope from those on the quay. We harnessed her, pulling her from above and pushing her from below, we managed to get her up.”
How do you think they managed to get out of the car?
“I believe they had the windows down and managed to get out before the car sank completely.”
You have a background as a diver, did you act instinctively?
“It came naturally to me to intervene seeing them in that situation. I did nothing exceptional. The important thing is that they came out safe and sound.”
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