Cameras caught the moment three young friends in Italy embraced for the last time Friday before being swept away by flood waters, The Telegraph reported.
The friends, Patrizia Cormos, 20, Bianca Doros, 23 and Doros’ boyfriend Cristian Molnar, 25, were walking along the Natisone River in northern Italy when the river dangerously surged after days of heavy rain, according to The Telegraph.
The video obtained by The Telegraph shows the three friends hugging as the water rises around them and they’re unable to reach the riverbank. (RELATED: Dramatic Video Shows Helicopter Crew Saving Man And Dog From Raging Waters)
Three friends filmed in final embrace before being swept away by flash floods in Italy
🔗 https://t.co/9OpxJrHsmG pic.twitter.com/QcocRFaZ6p
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“We threw them a rope, but they were literally swallowed up by the flood waters in front of our eyes. We watched them disappear,” the chief of the local provincial firefighters, Giorgio Basile, said, The Telegraph reported.
Firefighters quickly arrived at the scene after one of the women reportedly called police approximately 1:35 p.m. Friday.
Before the trio was swept away by the surging river’s current, firefighters tried to extend a rope to them while another told them to stay together, according to The Telegraph.
Emergency crews have reportedly been working since Friday using drones, boats and divers in efforts to locate signs of the missing young people.
Crews discovered one of the women’s handbags, including the cellphone she made the emergency call to police from, according to The Telegraph.
“The main element is not so much the rain, it is the power of the river, the very strong currents,” Basile reportedly said. “There are gorges, there is a backwash of water and even for the experts it is a particularly treacherous task.”
Two bodies, believed to be Ms. Cormos and Ms. Doros, were discovered Sunday approximately 3,200 feet from the spot where they were last seen, the outlet reported.
The search for the third victim, Mr. Molnar, reportedly continued while an investigation into the tragedy has begun.
