A day of wild boar hunting turned into tragedy when a man was killed by a bullet accidentally fired from a friend’s rifle. The victim, Pierluigi Malizia52 years old, resident of Pietrafitta and professional worker, died instantly. He was part of a group of expert hunters who, yesterday morning, went to the countryside of Presila casalina, south of Cosenza, an area known for the presence of wild boars which often cause damage to agricultural and livestock activities.
The accident occurred around 2pm in an inaccessible area near Canale, on the border between Pietrafitta and Piane Crati.
The dynamics of the accident
According to initial reconstructions, one of the most expert hunters of the group, while he was in a bush together with other members positioned at a distance, heard a rustling sound that made him think of the passage of a wild boar hidden among the vegetation. Convinced that he had identified the animal, he fired a shot which instead hit his friend, who was stationed right where the noise came from.
The scene that presented itself to those present was dramatic. The other hunters rushed towards Malizia, who was lying lifeless on the ground, with a fatal wound to his head. The pain of what had happened overwhelmed the man who had fired the shot, who sank into despair at having unintentionally caused the death of his hunting companion and close friend.
Rescue and investigations
The 118 health workers intervened on the scene, but the doctor could not do anything other than confirm the death of Pierluigi Malizia. The particularly steep area made it necessary for the Cosenza firefighters to intervene to recover the body.
The Carabinieri of the Rogliano Company’s Operations Unit carried out the findings and launched an investigation to reconstruct the dynamics of the accident in detail.