A young tourist lost her life in a horrific accident in Naples, Italy, earlier this week, while her boyfriend watched helplessly.
Chiara Jaconis, 30, died just days after a metal statue toppled from a nearby building without warning in the city's Spanish Quarter on September 15, knocking her unconscious. Jaconis was on her way to the airport with her boyfriend Livio Rousseau, 29. In the graphic footage, reviewed by New York Postboth can be seen carrying their luggage in wheelchairs in the moments before the incident. Jaconis is struck without warning by the falling statue, and he collapses to the ground as Rousseau rushes to his side. Mattino Jaconis was reportedly taken to Vecchio Pellegrini Hospital and then transferred to the Ospedale del Mare facility before he died on Tuesday morning.
On Monday, the victim's father, Gianfredo Jaconis, expressed his heartfelt gratitude to witnesses, doctors and medical staff who worked tirelessly to help his daughter. The afternoon after Jaconis' death, mourners gathered in the Spanish Quarter to pay their respects at a candlelight vigil. Politicians also issued statements of support, with Naples Mayor Gaetano Manfredi describing her death as “a great sadness, a tragedy that touches us all deeply.”
“We hoped until the end that Chiara could return to her 'usual life and family',” said Luca Zaia, governor of Jaconis' home region. “We still don't understand the dynamics. Although it won't bring her back, I hope there will be clarity.”
Jaconis is a native of Padua, Italy, who was on holiday in Naples. He worked as a store manager at a local Prada store and previously managed more than a dozen stores in France. Local authorities are currently investigating the incident. According to reports, those responsible for the statue's maintenance could face manslaughter charges.