WTF?!? Italians Shocked After Sunbathers Relax on Beach Near Dead Bodies

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,387443,00.html

Italians Shocked After Sunbathers Relax on Beach Near Dead Bodies
Monday , July 21, 2008

Naples —

Photographs that depict Italian sunbathers relaxing at the beach despite the nearby presence of the bodies of two Gypsy girls who had drowned, have raised questions about Italian attitudes toward the Roma minority, The U.K. Guardian reported.

The incident took place outside of Naples on Saturday. At about 1 p.m., four Gypsy teens, who had reportedly been begging beachgoers, decided to go into the water, despite apparently not being able to swim.

The girls were hit by an unusually large wave, resulting in an attempted rescue by life-savers from a nearby beach. Two of the girls were saved. The other two, aged 14 and 16, could not be reached in time, The Guardian reported.

Following their drowning, the bodies of the two girls were dragged ashore and laid out under beach towels, The Guardian said.

But Italian media later reported that the deaths of the girls and the presence of their bodies did not stop the sunbathers from enjoying their day at the beach, as most continued with their activities.

According to The Guardian, Italy is reportedly plagued by anti-Gypsy sentiments.

Italian newspaper La Repubblica wrote, "While the lifeless bodies of the girls were still on the sand, there were those who carried on sunbathing or having lunch just a few metres away."

Click here to read the full report from The Guardian.

We've all (in every country) gotten so use to death and bodies they don't affect many anymore.

The truth is, what would any of us do? Going to give up your day at the beach because someone drowned? Why?

I'd probably move away from the bodies, but I doubt if I'd leave. Thems the cold, hard facts. No pun intended

Following their drowning, the bodies of the two girls were dragged ashore and laid out under beach towels, The Guardian said.

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They may not have even known they were dead. I probably would have thought it was just people who had had a few too many and were sleeping it off-covered with a towel so as not to get sunburned.

I was a rescue diver for a fire department in North Texas for about 9 years and it was common to bring up bodies and folks nearby stop and stare. Rubberneckers are a pain and those who simply move away and go on with their business were appreciated.

This story does bring up a question I have though.

Are there any Gypsies on the board? They seem to be a secretive group who are generally misunderstood and it would be good to open a dialogue with some of them to better understand their way of life.


don

Are there any Gypsies on the board? They seem to be a secretive group who are generally misunderstood and it would be good to open a dialogue with some of them to better understand their way of life.

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That would be me. I am, however, quite far removed from the every day life of the Roma who live in Europe. We are secretive. We've had to be. Growing up in the 60's I was not allowed to ever speak about our ethnic background at home, or even ask questions of my grandmother about our culture. I have tried rescently to ask questions of some younger Rom who had only been here in the US several years. They absolutely would not talk - even to me!

About the situation on the beach - that would happen regardless of who's body was lying on the beach. I saw the very same thing happen over at Stanford University in the 70s when a fellow drowned at the lake there. People 15' away didn't seem to realize what was going on at all. It was business as usual for all the beach goers that day - except for one. I think it's more of a situational awareness problem rather than not caring at all.

So if the lifeguards were the ones to drag the bodies onto the beach and put them under towels, I wonder why didn't the lifeguards also take the bodies to their lifeguard station (assuming they had one) or at least away from the main beach area so as not to spoil EVERYONE'S day? Is there some Italian forensics laws about drowning victims that requires leaving bodies laying around on a beach until the police and/or a medical examiner arrives? And if the authorities (as represented by the lifeguards) didn't care, why should the other beach goers?


Opps, I take back everything in the paragraph above. Re-reading the article, "life-savers from a nearby beach" probably isn't a European way of referring to lifeguards but rather to normal people just trying to help, so I take back all my comments about lifeguards. Unless, of course, ""life-savers from a nearby beach" really DOES mean lifeguards.

this is just political correctness perpetrated by the grauniad

Why would they be expected to leave?

I believe most people are way off beat! They may be gypsies, although still human, and we should have sorrow, sympathy and remorse that two very young people died!

"Way off beat" ... do you prefer that everyone did this instead every time someone dies?

Amethyst said:

I believe most people are way off beat! They may be gypsies, although still human, and we should have sorrow, sympathy and remorse that two very young people died!

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I doubt it was because they were Gypsies. Most most likely didn't know they were dead. Also why ruin a nice day at the beach just because some non-swimmers tested their non-abilities first hand and failed the test. I find it hard to summon sorrow, sympathy and remorse for living, or now dead, brain donors.

I have a few aquaintances in the Renaissance Faire curcuit that are European Romani. 2 are just wonderful people.............that gave up the Roma way when they left Europe. The 3-4 others are beggers, thieves, cheats, drug dealers and all around dirtbags.

Jumpy Frog said:

I find it hard to summon sorrow, sympathy and remorse for living, or now dead, brain donors.

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The girls were hit by an unusually large wave, resulting in an attempted rescue by life-savers from a nearby beach. Two of the girls were saved. The other two, aged 14 and 16, could not be reached in time,

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Those are children you're talking about.

sbelew said:

Those are children you're talking about.

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Who went into the water without receiving proper training before hand. 14 and 16 are hardly kids anyway, they were old enough to know that death come to those that gamble with their lives. 4 to 6 year-olds I'd feel some sorrow for, not these corpses.

Who went into the water without receiving proper training before hand.

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You know this...how, exactly? Ever been caught in an undertow? I'm a strong swimmer, and damn near drowned in one. Nowhere in the article does it say they could not swim. In fact, if you would THINK for a moment, the fact that FOUR of them were taken out by this wave would suggest that it was something of a freakish occurrence.

14 and 16 are hardly kids anyway, they were old enough to know that death come to those that gamble with their lives.

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Now that's just plain stupid. 14 & 16 year olds pretty well universally have no concept of how frighteningly fast thing can turn deadly. Ever pay car insurance on a 16 year old boy? There's a reason it's sky-high. And as far as I know, a day at the beach is not USUALLY "gambling with your life". No more so than crossing the street.

4 to 6 year-olds I'd feel some sorrow for, not these corpses.

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Wow. Possibly the most scum-bag statement I've seen on this forum. What did these two kids do to you that would cause you to call them "corpses".

You, sir, are a pitiless person devoid of a soul.

sbelew said:

You know this...how, exactly? Ever been caught in an undertow?

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Yep!

sbelew said:

I'm a strong swimmer, and damn near drowned in one.

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FWIW, I lived where undertoe was common. A beach where I used to surf and swim is called Monastery Beach (AKA Mortuary Beach).

sbelew said:

Nowhere in the article does it say they could not swim.

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Funny, the arcticle has it in the second paragraph "At about 1 p.m., four Gypsy teens, who had reportedly been begging beachgoers, decided to go into the water, despite apparently not being able to swim."

sbelew said:

In fact, if you would THINK for a moment, the fact that FOUR of them were taken out by this wave would suggest that it was something of a freakish occurrence.

Now that's just plain stupid. 14 & 16 year olds pretty well universally have no concept of how frighteningly fast thing can turn deadly. Ever pay car insurance on a 16 year old boy? There's a reason it's sky-high. And as far as I know, a day at the beach is not USUALLY "gambling with your life". No more so than crossing the street.

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You must know some dumb teenagers, or ones that haven't been taught that dumb choices make for early graves.

sbelew said:

Wow. Possibly the most scum-bag statement I've seen on this forum. What did these two kids do to you that would cause you to call them "corpses".

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Cause corpses is the truth. That is what they are. Dead flesh, no soul, signs of lividity, absence of life= corpse. Common in bodies that are dead.

sbelew said:

You, sir, are a pitiless person devoid of a soul.

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Thanks, it saves me from wasting time on pitiful persons who care more about feelings, perceptions and emotions than personal responsiblity.

Maybe it comes from years working as a DART (Dive And Recover Team) member, EMT, firefighter, SAR and peace officer...........lots of dumb people to keep us at work.