Rapid rescue saves Cagliari’s rising striker Yael Trepy

Yael Trepy’s return to breathing unaided means Cagliari retain a 20‑year‑old striker whose season could have ended in tragedy, underscoring the club’s relief after a life‑threatening pool accident.

Match involvement on August 14

Trepy started for Cagliari in the Coppa Italia clash against Arezzo on August 14, a 1‑0 win sealed by Alessandro Deiola’s penalty. The appearance marked his participation in a senior competitive match shortly after joining the first‑team squad.

Having entered the Cagliari youth academy in January 2023, the forward has already logged nine senior appearances and scored once, highlighting his rapid progression from the academy to the Serie A roster.

Pool incident in Porto Cervo

Two days after the Coppa Italia victory, Trepy encountered difficulty in the deep end of a private villa pool in Porto Cervo, Sardinia, inhaling a significant amount of water before being rescued. The incident left him in critical condition and prompted immediate emergency measures.

Rescuers dragged him from the water, intubated him on site and airlifted him to SS Annunziata hospital in Sassari, where doctors placed him in an induced coma to clear fluid from his lungs.

Recovery and outlook

Hospital officials confirmed Trepy is now breathing without supplemental oxygen, has emerged from the induced coma and has resumed eating and drinking, with no evident neurological deficits but continued observation required. Stefania Milia, director of the Intensive Care Unit, emphasized that the ambulance arrived within five minutes and that rapid help was decisive.

Trepy’s first words to doctors were a correction of his name’s pronunciation, a small but reassuring sign of recovery. Cagliari Calcio thanked the medical team on social media, noting the rescue arrived in under five minutes, while the timeline for his return to training remains uncertain.