Cordignano, a crowd for the last farewell to Daniele Ortolan

The funeral of one of the four boys who died on the eve of August 15th in the crash in Godega

CORDIGNANO. A river of people, a crowd that the church of Cordignano could not contain all gathered today, Saturday 20 August, to give the last farewell to Daniele Ortolan, the 19-year-old from Orsago who died in the early hours of Sunday 14 August in the crash in which three other very young people lost their lives with him.

Moving was the letter read by a friend, on behalf of a group of young people who used to meet: “After a lifetime of swimming you have to leave your waters and learn to fly,” he said. “Promise us that you will look at us from up there, still think of someone in our group as we will continue to think of you forever”. The young man recalled the high school years they spent together: “How much time did I spend with you laughing, because not doing it with you was simply impossible.”

Present in the church are the mother Tiziana, the father Emilio, the brother Diego, the girlfriend Sofia. And there were also many friends of the swimming club Nottoli, of Vittorio Veneto, _ all in social uniform _ for which Diego Ortolan was the instructor, after many years of competition during which he had also achieved important results at national level.

The parish priest, Don Claudio Carniel, recalled in his homily how “we all must rediscover the hope, the light and the strength, which are continually needed in life to move forward”.

The mayor Roberto Campagna and the mayor of Orsago Fabio Collot are also in the church.

Many people remained outside the church, on the square, where the loudspeakers broadcast the religious function.