A dad and his little boy had a lucky escape from the deadly cable car crash that killed 14 people in Italy – but only because it was too packed for them to board.
Dario Prezioso and his six-year-old son were supposed to be on the lift that ended up killing all but one of the 15 passengers when one of its cables snapped.
The horror accident saw the vehicle plummet 65ft to the ground before overturning down a mountain side and smashing into trees.
The cable car was carrying passengers between Stresa, on Lake Maggiore, and Mottarone mountain in Italy’s Alps when it crashed, in a panoramic trip that would’ve taken no more than 20 minutes.
A five-year-old boy – the only survivor – was airlifted to the same hospital and remains in a serious condition after undergoing surgery.
(Image: Dario Prezioso)
Mr Prezioso spoke of a twist of fate which meant he and his child’s lives were spared.
“When I heard news of the crash my blood froze – my six-year-old son and I could’ve been on that,” he was quoted saying in Italian newspaper Il Messaggero.
He explained how they had tried to the board the lift but as it had reached maximum capacity, the two had decided to wait for the next ride.
(Image: VIA REUTERS)
(Image: Vigili del Fuoco/AFP via Getty I)
Mr Prezioso gave hair-raising details of how he met some of those who ended up being killed as they queued for the lift together.
“I had decided to bring my child to Alpiland, where there’s a bobsled track – but when we got to the lift, for a series of miraculous coincidences, the cable car that ended up crashing was already full so we weren’t able to board.
(Image: Vigili del Fuoco/Twitter)
“We were the next ones up so we stopped there to wait for the lift that we never got on.
“We met the people who were in the cable car while queueing for tickets and we had also exchanged a few words,” he said.
(Image: Polizia di Stato/AFP via Getty I)
The cable car was approaching a station on top of the 4,900ft Mottarone mountain when it plunged.
Stresa Mayor Marcella Severino said the accident was believed to have been caused by one of the cables breaking, though the cause was still under investigation.
Ms Severino, the mayor of Stresa, told broadcaster RAI that hikers heard a loud hiss before the crash just after midday.
Some of the victims were found trapped inside the car, with others thrown into the woods, she added.
The cable car had only restarted a month ago following the country’s Covid lockdown.
Officials said the cable car system, which first opened in August 1970, had undergone regular checks, with the most recent one taking place last November.
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi offered condolences to the victims’ families and said his thoughts were with the two child survivors.