Golf talent killed in Crans-Montana fire pictured with Rory McIlroy | Golf | Sport

A poignant social media post has surfaced showing the late golfer Emanuele Galeppini celebrating a ‘pic of the year’ with his sporting idol Rory McIlroy from 2024. It comes after the teenager’s tragic death during New Year’s festivities in Switzerland this week.

Galeppini, a promising 17-year-old from Genoa, was the first victim to be identified after a fire at Crans-Montana claimed the lives of over 40 party-goers. The Italian Golf Federation paid tribute to the young athlete, describing him as “a young athlete who embodied passion and authentic values,” adding: “In this time of great sorrow, our thoughts go out to his family and all those who loved him.” Emanuele’s father, Edoardo Galeppini, had earlier spoken to TgCom, revealing that the family had been anxiously awaiting news after last hearing from Emanuele.

He said: “I heard from him at midnight, but since then I haven’t had any contact with him. Unfortunately, he was at the Constellation celebrating New Year’s Eve with friends. When we heard about the explosion, we went there, but we haven’t found him yet.”

Galeppini, who was based in Dubai, regularly posted photos of his scorecards throughout the year, along with action shots from tournaments. In March, he triumphed in a Faldo Series Under-16 tournament against his best friend, Thomas Buchard.

While Galeppini was the first casualty to be named, many others remain unaccounted for. An Under-18s football team from the Swiss Canton of Vaud had reserved a table at Le Constellation bar, where the devastating fire occurred.

Stephane Bise, who is the president of FC Lutry, told Blick: “One of them is receiving treatment in a hospital, but three or four have not yet been heard from.” A further 115 were left injured after the fire, with Swiss investigators looking into the causes of the tragedy.

Teenage footballer Tahirys dos Santos was among the injured, with his club – French outfit Metz – confirming he had been airlifted to hospital for further treatment. His agent, Chrisophe Hutteau told BFMTV: “I can’t tell you that he’s doing well, because he’s suffering terribly. He has burns covering 30% of his body.”

Dos Santos, who made the bench for Metz’s Coupe de France game against Biesheim in December, is being treated in a specialised burns unit. “The positive point is that his respiratory capacity has greatly improved since yesterday morning, even though his lungs were affected.”

While the precise cause remains undetermined, an emergency spokesperson said: “There were sparklers on all tables in Le Constellation, and people were celebrating the new year. Suddenly a fire broke out, and people tried to get out of the confined space, causing chaos.”

Mathias Renard, head of the regional government, also told a press conference: “This evening should have been a moment of celebration and coming together, but it turned into a nightmare.”