The pensioner did not realize that it was just after 20.30, the time when the automatic closing of the gate is triggered
SAN GIOVANNI AL NATISONE. It remains closed inside the cemetery of the hamlet of Villanova, in the municipality of San Giovanni al Natisone. The mayor, Carlo Pali, and a volunteer from the local civil protection group “save” her. Bad adventure for a middle-aged woman living in the village, who, in the late afternoon of Tuesday 20 July, had reached the cemetery in the hamlet of Villanova on her bicycle to visit her deceased loved ones.
The pensioner did not realize that it was just after 20.30, the time when the automatic closing of the gate is triggered. The woman did not panic and immediately pressed the appropriate button, which is used to open from the inside in case of emergency, but the gate remained closed because, due to a strong storm, which hit the zone a few days ago, the button is still under maintenance. At that point, the lady took her cell phone and contacted a neighbor, a boy who is also a volunteer of the Civil Protection of San Giovanni al Natisone.
The young man gave the alarm and called the local police station, who, in turn, warned the mayor. It was the first citizen and the Civil Protection volunteer who freed the woman, using a ladder. Around 9 pm the lady was able to return home. The bicycle was also recovered. «The door of the cemetery is automated and always closes at 20.30 – explains the mayor of San Giovanni al Natisone -. If someone is locked inside, they can simply push the internal button to open. Unfortunately, the gate was hit by an electric shock during a storm and was damaged. It doesn’t work at the moment. We have already contacted the repair company. The workers have already been on site to verify the extent of the damage ».
The mayor, as soon as he learned what had happened, immediately left the house and with the help of the volunteer he got himself a ladder. «Everything was resolved quickly – confirms Pali -. The lady was safely let out, using a ladder. We also managed to retrieve the bicycle, which was left inside. In the next few days – the mayor said – the company in charge will finish the work of arranging the gate ».