Italian golf prodigy Emanuele Galeppini, 17, was the first victim named after the Crans-Montana fire claimed the lives of more than 40 people during New Year’s Eve celebrations in Switzerland
Emanuele Galeppini, third from left, with Luke Donald and Rory McIlroy(Image: @emanuele.galeppini/Instagram)
A heartbreaking social media post showing tragic golfer Emanuele Galeppini celebrating a ‘pic of the year’ alongside sporting icon Rory McIlroy from 2024 has surfaced following the teenager’s death during New Year’s festivities in Switzerland this week.
The 17 year old prodigy from Genoa became the first victim to be identified after the devastating Crans-Montana blaze that claimed over 40 lives amongst party-goers. The Italian Golf Federation paid tribute to the youngster, describing him as “A young athlete who embodied passion and authentic values.”
They continued: “In this time of great sorrow, our thoughts go out to his family and all those who loved him.”
The promising golfer’s father Edoardo had previously told TgCom that the family were desperately awaiting news after last hearing from Emanuele. “I heard from him at midnight, but since then I haven’t had any contact with him,” he explained.
“Unfortunately, he was at the Constellation celebrating New Year’s Eve with friends. When we heard about the explosion, we went there, but we haven’t found him yet.”
Based in Dubai, Galeppini regularly posted pictures of his scorecards throughout the year alongside action shots from various competitions. Back in March, he claimed victory in a Faldo Series Under-16 tournament, defeating his closest mate Thomas Buchard.
Although Galeppini was the first fatality to be officially named, numerous others remain unaccounted for. A youth football squad from the Swiss Canton of Vaud had reserved a table at Le Constellation bar, the venue where the tragic fire occurred.
“One of them is receiving treatment in a hospital, but three or four have not yet been heard from,” Stephane Bise, president of FC Lutry, informed Swiss media outlet Blick.
Candles are lit in memory of those who have passed at Crans-Montana(Image: Harold Cunningham/Getty Images)
An additional 115 were injured in the blaze, with Swiss investigators probing the causes of the disaster. Teenage footballer Tahirys dos Santos was among those hurt, with his club – French team Metz – confirming he had been airlifted to hospital for further care.
“I can’t tell you that he’s doing well, because he’s suffering terribly. He has burns covering 30% of his body,” Dos Santos’ agent Christophe Hutteau revealed to BFMTV.
Dos Santos, who was on the bench for Metz’s Coupe de France match against Biesheim in December, is being cared for in a specialist burns unit. “The positive point is that his respiratory capacity has greatly improved since yesterday morning, even though his lungs were affected.”
While the exact cause remains undetermined, an emergency spokesperson noted: “There were sparklers on all tables in Le Constellation, and people were celebrating the new year. Suddenly a fire broke out, and people tried to get out of the confined space, causing chaos.”
Mathias Renard, head of the regional government, told a press conference: “This evening should have been a moment of celebration and coming together, but it turned into a nightmare.”
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