Pateh Sabally, a 22-year-old Gambian, was seen jumping into the water from pier.
Hundreds of people witnessed the jump and at least three life rings were thrown.
He refused to hold on to them, raising speculation he wanted to commit suicide.
No-one jumped in to help him and racist abuse was allegedly shouted at him.
The recording appears to pick up some bystanders yelling at the flailing man. ‘He is stupid. He wants to die,’ says one person.
One person allegedly shouted: ‘Go on, go back home.’
In the video, onlookers start to laugh and one man can be heard saying, ‘Let him die at this point.’
A taxi driver told local media: ‘A young man threw himself into the water and two or three life jackets were thrown from the boat but he refused the help.’
A fellow cabbie added: ‘This is despair. I do not know the story of this guy. They have said he is African. Who knows what he’s been through, how many seas and deserts he has crossed? And he came to die in the most beautiful city in the world.’
Italian magistrates have now opened an investigation into the incident.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JInG1phslL4&ab_channel=REPORTERBOX
@Agencies
