A child was saved in Italy, floating out to sea on an inflatable mattress (4 photos + 1 video)
Category: Interesting photo stories, PEGI 0+
2 July 2025
The five-year-old boy was relaxing on an inflatable mattress when his grandmother noticed that he was being carried away by the current. She swam to her grandson, but did not have the strength to return. As a result, they were carried away two nautical miles from the shore. 
The footage shows the coast guard with a life preserver reaching the child in the middle of the sea. The boy was lifted on board a patrol boat. There he met his grandmother, who had been rescued a few minutes earlier.
The incident took place near Castellammare di Stabia in the Gulf of Naples. The boy's grandfather became ill on the beach due to stress, but was quickly given help.
Rescuers handed the couple over to emergency services for medical examination.
Italian Coast Guard reminded: "Be careful! Do not use inflatable mattresses, boats or small watercraft in strong winds."
The boy's father, Gioacchino D'Angelo, said: "I want to thank you for saving my son and my mother. Hats off to you, thank you so much!"
In 2020, in Greece, a four-year-old girl on a large inflatable unicorn was caught by a strong current and ended up almost a kilometer from the shore. The parents contacted the port authorities, who alerted the captain of the local ferry. Fortunately, the little girl was saved.
