A CYCLIST FALLS INTO THE WATER. MOUHAMED IS THERE. NOW A TOWN SAYS THANK YOU
The rescue took place on 12 April. On Sunday 18 October, recognition came in Santa Croce sull’Arno: Mouhamed Bachir Dieng went into the water to help a young cyclist in danger. Alongside him was a team.
His name is Mouhamed Bachir Dieng, a volunteer with Pubblica Assistenza in Santa Croce sull’Arno. His full name deserves to be written: on 12 April, during an Allievi-category cycling race in Lamporecchio, he entered a water-filled ditch to reach a young cyclist who had fallen and was in danger of drowning.
One intervention, one team
The rescue was carried out with support from the other crew members and the race doctor. That detail matters: Mouhamed’s courage joined the work of the other rescuers.
The thank-you came at the volunteers’ celebration
The recent news is the public recognition. On Sunday 18 October 2026, at Largo Bonetti, Pubblica Assistenza dedicated part of its Feast del Volontario to that act. The association and mayor Roberto Giannoni presented plaques to Mouhamed. Flavio Baldi, the town councillor responsible for sport, also attended.
A celebration reminding us that people stand behind an organisation’s service. The award makes a specific intervention visible; volunteering then continues through everyday shifts and availability.
Why we pause over this story
CHIARA!’s reflection — We are used to reading quickly, moving from one story to another. Here it is worth pausing over a name and a thank-you. Recognising good also means telling the stories of those who do it, without making them perfect characters or forgetting the people beside them.
The Good Samaritan parable in Luke’s Gospel questions our closeness to people in need. We do not know Mouhamed’s faith or personal motives: this reflection is ours. His intervention nevertheless offers a practical question to carry into our day: how can I make myself available, with the skills I have and those I can learn?
Would you like to begin too?
Contact a local organisation and ask what activities it offers, what requirements apply and how training works. Finding out is already a first step. There are different roles and paths to understand before choosing: the desire to help grows when it finds preparation and people to work alongside.
Keep reading: how to offer practical help and how to organise a useful donation.
