Freediver Francesco Pagni Dies During Competition Reconnaissance in Alghero
Italian freediver Francesco Pagni has died while carrying out a reconnaissance dive in the waters off Alghero, Sardinia, ahead of a national spearfishing competition. The cause of his death remains under investigation.
Francesco Pagni, an experienced freediver from Sarzana in the province of La Spezia, died on Monday, 14 September, while diving in the roadstead of Alghero on the Italian island of Sardinia.
According to initial reports, Pagni was taking part in a reconnaissance of the competition area ahead of the Italian national qualifying spearfishing championship scheduled to take place in Alghero on 18 and 19 September. Repubblica reported that Pagni was also serving as a competition assistant.
The reconnaissance was being carried out to examine the seabed and prepare the competition area before the event. Other people involved in the preparations reportedly raised the alarm after Pagni failed to return as expected.
Emergency Response
The Italian Coast Guard responded to the incident and Pagni’s body was recovered from the water and taken to the port of Alghero. Emergency medical personnel were called to the scene, but he could not be saved.
The body was placed at the disposal of the judicial authorities as investigators began working to establish what happened during the dive. Italian media reported that a magistrate ordered an autopsy to help determine the cause of death.
Cause of Death Not Yet Established
Authorities have not announced a cause of death, and the circumstances leading to the incident remain under investigation.
At this stage, there is no confirmed information establishing whether Pagni suffered a medical emergency, a freediving related loss of consciousness, or another problem while underwater. Any explanation of the mechanism of the accident would therefore be premature until the autopsy and official investigation provide further evidence.
The competition Pagni had been helping prepare is organised by GS Corallo Sub in Alghero and was scheduled for 18 and 19 September.
Safety Note
The circumstances of this incident remain under investigation, and there is currently no confirmed information explaining what happened underwater.
Freediving carries risks that can develop quickly and sometimes without obvious warning. Diventures encourages freedivers to avoid diving alone, maintain direct supervision between dive partners, agree on clear dive and recovery procedures before entering the water, and ensure that anyone providing safety support is prepared to respond immediately if a diver becomes unresponsive.
During reconnaissance, training, competition preparation, or recreational freediving, familiarity with the site and experience should never replace active safety procedures.
This advice is general and should not be interpreted as suggesting that any of these factors contributed to Francesco Pagni’s death. The findings of the official investigation should determine the circumstances of the incident.
Conflicting Reports About Pagni’s Age
Several Italian news organisations, including ANSA, Rai News and Repubblica, reported Pagni’s age as 47, while La Nazione, La Nuova Sardegna and Adnkronos reported that he was 48. Diventures is therefore withholding his age from the article until it can be independently confirmed.
Developing story: Diventures will update this article if Italian authorities release further information about the investigation or the results of the autopsy.
Sources: Genova Repubblica, La Nazione, Rai News
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