It was supposed to be a fun Tuesday canoeing for Massimo Benetton, 54, originally from Venice. He worked for the sporting goods company Papin after being a mechanic for a decade at a popular company that makes racing bikes. Canoeing had accompanied him throughout his life: Benetton – nicknamed "Max the Bomb" among amateurs – was canoeing champion in the freestyle specialty and master of freestyle. He had a lot of experience.

At 8 p.m. he had met with friends in the town of Gisse, near San Martino, to descend the Aurino River. For him it had to be little more than a relaxing excursion. During the excursion, however, an accident threw him into the icy waters of the river. The currents dragged him while his friends raised the alarm and joined their ropes to try to recover him. The darkness complicated everything. Firefighters and the Brunico water rescue team arrived at the scene, as well as the Aiut Alpin Dolomites helicopter with night sights activated. Once Benetton's body was recovered and dragged to shore, the emergency doctor and the health personnel of the White Cross tried to revive the desperate, but they could not do anything: the Venetian, 54, was already dead. The Carabinieri are conducting investigations into what happened.

Benetton was well known on the national sports scene. Freestyle, his specialty, rewards the ability to perform evolutions and acrobatics in the water. In this category he had participated in the world championships of the specialty in Nottingham (England). Massimo was interested in the sport from a young age and competed in world championships in 1991 and 1993. His record includes a bronze medal at the 1997 Italian Championships, and a silver and gold at the European Cup in 2002 and 2003.

Benetton was also one of the first to experiment with carbon fiber (as in bicycles) for the construction of kayaks. "I never forget the most beautiful part of this sport," he said in an interview, "which is the contact with nature and the possibility of experiencing the wildest aspects of the mountains. It requires coordination, balance and discipline."

"I was experienced and prepared"

Arcangelo Pirovano Todeschini, a founding member of the Italian Federation of Tourist Canoeing, does not understand the death of his friend: "He had certainly gone to train: he was not dangerous, maybe he was tired. He knew very well what manoeuvres to perform with his life jacket, which he was definitely wearing." For Todeschini, "Max could have gotten into a hole," as it is called in the jargon when the water overshoots a large rock and creates a current that holds the kayak back. "But that shouldn't have been the problem, because he used to play with the holes."

Benetton leaves behind a son, Leonardo, his father and his siblings Gianni and Lucia, who will remember him like this: "It was pure enthusiasm, out of the ordinary. Whatever sport I played, I had to reach the top. He was a great father, an attentive companion, a good brother."

  • Events
  • Italy

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Learn more