A morning coffee break saved the life of a cable car driver in Naples, Italy, after a tragic accident claimed four lives when the car’s cable snapped, sending it plummeting 100 feet into a ravine.
The cable car had nearly reached the top of Mount Faito, just 20 seconds from the summit, when the cable failed on Thursday.
British couple Graeme and Margaret Elaine Winn, both 64 and known for enjoying their retirement with motorbike tours and holidays, were among those killed.
Janan Suliman, 25, from Israel, also died, along with the cable car operator Carmine Parlato, 59.
Massimo Amitrano, 60, was originally meant to operate that first trip of the day, but a colleague persuaded him to take a break and enjoy his morning coffee instead. That last-minute switch saved his life.
“It’s divine intervention, how else do you explain it?” Amitrano told The Sunday Times. “Carmine was a dear friend. He had a big heart.”
Thick fog and strong winds were present when the cable snapped. Reports suggest the car may have slid backward and hit a pylon before falling. Only one person survived—Janan’s 23-year-old brother, Thaeb Suliman, who was found critically injured two hours later.
Amitrano, operating a second cable car with nine passengers— including a German family with three young children—helped rescue them by manually winching each one to safety, cutting his hands in the process.
“I let the mother hold the four-year-old as she descended because she wouldn’t go without him,” he said. “I was the last off because the captain usually doesn’t abandon his ship.”
The cable car line had just reopened on April 10 after a three-month closure for maintenance and had passed safety checks two weeks earlier.
Now, concerns are growing that human error may be behind the tragedy. Italian prosecutors have opened a multiple manslaughter investigation.
Flowers and candles were left at the station steps as tributes poured in for the victims. Elaine Winn, who worked as school business manager at Welland Park Academy in Market Harborough, Leicestershire, was remembered for her dedication and kindness.
A school spokesperson said: “Her warmth and unwavering commitment touched the lives of students, staff, and families. Her loss will be felt deeply by us all.”
Despite hundreds using the 3km cable car route daily without issue, this incident echoes a 1960 crash on the same line that also claimed four lives due to human error.
“Commercial airplanes come down, car crashes happen. Freak accidents are part of life,” Amitrano added.
