Overview
- Two Sanremo residents who were reported missing after diving off the Le Calandre/Cala del Forte coast did not return and were later identified as Whalid Sobi, 19, and Ewerton Bernardo Dos Santos, 25.
- Bystanders attempted rescues and witnesses reported that particularly rough seas and strong currents pulled the men under and prevented timely recovery.
- The Ligurian Diving Unit, Vigili del Fuoco teams with aerial support, and the harbour master/coast guard coordinated a multi-day search that widened beyond the immediate area to allow for likely drift.
- Rescue teams recovered both bodies this morning after two days of operations and authorities have not yet released official forensic findings on cause of death.
- The case highlights known hazards along the Ventimiglia stretch of coast where powerful currents can carry swimmers far from shore and complicate rescue work, and it has drawn attention in the nearby Sanremo community.