The search for Susanna Recchia and her three-year-old daughter has ended in heartbreak. After a day and night of intensive searching, the bodies of the mother and child were discovered today on a small island in the Piave River, having been swept there by the current.
Contrary to initial fears, Susanna did not jump from the Vidor bridge, a known site for suicides. Instead, she carried her daughter to the riverbed and let herself drift into the cold water, seeking to die together. Rescue teams found the pair still embracing. Susanna had vanished from her home in Miane, Treviso, on Friday evening, leaving behind a final message to her ex-partner, Mirko: “Come pick up the baby tomorrow morning; I will wait for you at 8:15.” She also left a five-page farewell letter expressing her intent to end her life.
Before departing, Susanna had left her phones and wallet at home, drove her white Volkswagen Tiguan to the bridge, parked near a bar with the keys still in the ignition, and walked to the river. Hypothermia might have contributed to their deaths. The swollen river, made turbulent by recent rains, carried their bodies a kilometer downstream to a gravel island near the Isola dei Morti. Search dogs led rescuers to the tragic site. The same area had seen a similar tragedy in February 2021, when a woman leaped from the bridge with her child, who miraculously survived.
The Treviso Prosecutor’s Office has opened an investigation into the deaths, classifying it as a homicide followed by suicide. Prosecutor Marco Martani has indicated that the case appears straightforward but awaits initial necropsy results to decide whether a full autopsy will be conducted. Martani noted that Susanna’s case reflects “major depression,” a mental illness that often presents no clear warnings and may lead individuals to take tragic actions to protect loved ones.
Susanna’s life was marked by significant hardships. A dental hygienist, she had suffered trauma from a fatal car accident involving her best friend, where she was not at fault. Her troubled past included a failed marriage and a recent separation from her partner, Mirko, which left her feeling isolated and in despair. Despite having three children, Susanna was known to be reserved, with little presence on social media aside from photos of her family and serene landscapes.
