Dismay over fatal illness of very young Luigi Santarelli on a tennis court

A sudden illness while on the field, the long attempts to revive him with heart massage and the desperate rush to the hospital, until the tragic end. The death of 15-year-old Luigi Santarelli left everyone in despair: the boy suffered a cardiac arrest while training at the Cittadella dello Sport facilities in San Giovanni Teatino, Abruzzo.

Luigi, who would have turned 16 in a few weeks, lived with his family in Francavilla al Mare. He was playing tennis yesterday afternoon: shortly after 5 p.m. he suddenly collapsed to the ground, losing consciousness. Those present intervened immediately, also using the automatic defibrillator, while 118 emergency services arrived on the scene with an ambulance and an ambulance car. The young man died shortly after being transported to the emergency room in Pescara. Prosecutors have launched an investigation and ordered an autopsy.

“A loss that leaves us dismayed-the words of Mayor Giorgio Di Clemente-an immense grief that affects not only the family, but our entire community. My heart is with the parents, loved ones, friends and instructors who have lived through these terrible moments. I want to make them feel all our closeness and embrace at this time of unspeakable suffering. Out of respect for the boy and his family, the tennis courts of the Citadel of Sports will remain closed.”