Man clings to side of Genoa bridge for hours by thinking of his unborn child
A man who fell from Genoa bridge and managed to grab dangling wires thought of his unborn child as he waited to be rescued.
Friday 17 August 2018 10:17, UK
The thought of his unborn child gave a man the strength to cling to dangling wires on the collapsed Genoa bridge for hours until he was rescued.
His pregnant girlfriend, Giulia Organo, 28, said Gianluca Ardini, 29, held onto wires 65ft above the ground because thinking of their baby "gave him the strength to survive".
Mr Ardini, who clung on with a dislocated shoulder, was driving along the bridge with a colleague making his last delivery of the day when the Morandi Bridge collapsed, local media reports.
His colleague, a father-of-four named Luigi Altadonna, fell to his death.
Ms Organo, who is eight months pregnant, is quoted in Italian press saying: "It's been a miracle, that’s all I can say. He held on to two wires for dear life."
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She continued: "In September he'll be a father. I believe this is one of the reasons why he held on."
She said rescue crews told him not to move and to stay still on the wire in case any movement triggered a further collapse.
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At least 38 people died when the bridge collapsed, fifteen people are injured and at least seven victims have been pulled from the rubble alive.
Up to 20 people could be buried under the rubble of the bridge that collapsed this week in the Italian city of Genoa, officials have said.
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has declared a 12-month period of emergency in the region.