Hours of apprehension in the waters of the Strait of Messina due to the disappearance of Antonio Ridolfi, 49 years old, originally from Giulianova (Teramo), diver in the Navy. The man, who usually spends a few days in Messina at this time of year, did not return after a dive and yesterday in the late afternoon the searches began which continued all night and are still ongoing.
Ridolfi relied on some diving friends from Messina, where he kept his equipment. It was his friends who, not seeing him return, raised the alarm.
The soldier had parked his car in via Palazzo, in Torre Faro, and then reached the stretch of sea in front and immersed himself.
Particular attention is paid to the equipment used for diving. Ridolfi, in fact, was not wearing traditional cylinders, but a rebreather, a closed-circuit device that allows breathing gas to be recycled and dives to be carried out at considerable depths and for prolonged periods.
The 49-year-old, previously stationed at the Augusta military base, has been on duty in Ancona for some years. However, he usually returned to Messina during this period of the year.
After the alarm, search operations were launched. The patrol boats are patrolling the waters of the Strait in an attempt to locate the diver also with the help of helicopters.
The research is still ongoing. The investigations must also allow us to reconstruct the last phases before the dive and establish where Ridolfi may have gone.
