Pierlucio Tinazzi
Pierlucio Tinazzi | |
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Born | 1999 Mont Blanc tunnel fire | December 27, 1962
Pierlucio Tinazzi (Italian pronunciation:
Having died trying to save another man, Tinazzi was lauded as a hero, buried with honors, and posthumously awarded Italy's Medaglia d'Oro al Valore Civile (Gold Medal for Civil Valor).[2] He was also given a special gold medal by the motorcycle sport governing body Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM).[1] A commemorative plaque at the Italian entrance honours his sacrifice.[3]
For several years, Tinazzi was also wrongly credited by newspapers with saving between ten and twelve people by ferrying them to safety on his motorcycle before dying in the fire.[1] However, in 2019, a writer researching the story found the full description of the events in French police reports: A motorcycle security guard, Patrick Devouassoux, who survived the fire, did indeed save several people while driving a Renault Express minivan.[1] Tinazzi's and Devouassoux's actions were apparently intermingled in subsequent press accounts.[1]
Notes
- ^ a b c d e Gardiner, Mark (March 21, 2019). "I wrote a story that became a legend. Then I discovered it wasn't true". Columbia Journalism Review. Retrieved 2019-04-01.
- ^ Medaglia d'Oro al Valore Civile
- ^ "Pierlucio Tinazzi". Find a Grave. Retrieved 8 January 2010.
References
- "The Hero of Mount Blanc", ISSN 0277-9358, retrieved 2011-07-03
- BBCNews-Tunnel inferno 'warning ignored'
- The Mont Blanc Disaster
- Italian decoration "Medaglia d'Oro al Valore Civile"