GALLARATE – “The courageous intervention of Vincenzo, a highway police officer, was crucial in saving the life of a man who wanted to commit suicide near Malpensa.” With these words, Minister of Transport Matteo Salvini publicly praises those who intervened yesterday, November 26, on the 336 highway near Gallarate, preventing a man from jumping off the Arnate bridge.
The final long embrace
“Thanks to his timing and the valuable teamwork with colleagues from the Gallarate police station and the fire department, the man was brought to safety,” says Minister Salvini, recounting that Vincenzo then sat next to him and held his hand as they waited together for the ambulance to arrive, before a final long embrace. “We hope that this gentleman will soon be able to smile at life again. Well done, Vincenzo. And congratulations to the entire team of the Police and Fire Department. Saving a life also means this.”
The rescue
The events of yesterday morning are now well known. It is a quarter to twelve when the first calls start coming in to the emergency number 112: a man is hanging on the fence of a flyover on the 336 highway from Malpensa to Busto Arsizio and threatens to jump into the void. Two police cars from the Gallarate Police Station, a Carabinieri crew, and the Fire Department arrive at the bridge; the Traffic Control Center of the Highway Police sends a patrol from the Busto Arsizio Subsection and one from the Magenta Detachment to block the heavy traffic flowing on the two carriageways of the highway. While the officers on the bridge try to dissuade the man from his suicidal intentions, who does not seem to want to listen to them, police officer Vincenzo climbs onto the tarpaulin of a truck and from there, with a jump of about one and a half meters, reaches the bridge fence, managing to firmly hold the man who can no longer escape. At that point, the colleagues intervene and manage to save both of them just as the fence detaches from the support due to the excessive weight of the two men. Applause can be heard coming from the road. A sigh of relief is heard in the operations room. Traffic and life resume flowing.
