The tragic final moments of three friends embracing before being swept away by a flash flood in Italy have left millions heartbroken.
The footage, shared on X, shows Patrizia Cormos, 20, her friend Bianca Doros, 23, and Bianca’s boyfriend Cristian Molnar, 25, trapped thigh-deep in the Natisone River’s surging waters in Udine, Friuli.
Stranded on a tiny pebble island as the river rose, the trio called for help. Firefighters arrived quickly, tossing them a rescue rope. Tragically, they couldn’t grab it in time. “We watched helplessly as the waters swallowed them,” said Giorgio Basile, Udine’s fire chief.
Two bodies, believed to be Patrizia and Bianca, were found a kilometer downstream on June 2. The search for Cristian continues, with drones, divers, and boats scouring the river.
The group had stopped at the river to take photos after celebrating Patrizia’s exam results. “They couldn’t have known how quickly the conditions would change,” said Premariacco’s mayor, Michele De Sabata.
Northern Italy has faced devastating flash floods following severe storms, with regions like Padua and Vicenza among the hardest hit.
