Dad of two mysteriously dies after boasting he was 'immortal' on social media

Luca Nicchetto, 32, was pronounced dead only moments after falling ill at his parents' house - and had recently said he was 'immortal' in a post on social media

A dad-of-two mysteriously died overnight shortly after boasting he was “immortal” on social media.

Luca Nicchetto was at his parent’s house when he suddenly began to feel ill early on Tuesday morning, and an ambulance arrived at the house after his parents called for help. But, within just a few moments, paramedics confirmed the 32-year-old had passed away. His cause of death is still a mystery. Luca was at the family home in Valli di Chioggia near Venice, Italy, where he had been staying since separating from the mother of his children.

Before that, he had lived with his partner and kids for several years in Udine. Nine weeks ago, after one of his friends asked him “You’re still alive, right?” on social media, Luca replied: “Immortal”.

His death was only the latest tragedy to hit the family. The first blow came in 2015, when Luca’s brother Jacomo, who is 10 years his senior, was arrested.

He and an accomplice were seized on suspicion of robbery and other crimes in Ottaviano, near Naples. They allegedly robbed a supermarket and were pursued by the owners and police officers.

A gunfight ensued in which one of the people chasing Jacomo was injured and later died. Jacomo was charged with murder and given a life sentence two years later.

The crime shocked people at the time because Jacomo and his accomplice were police officers themselves. His parents shut themselves away for years in shame after the ordeal.

It’s believed Luca’s subsequent move to Udine was, in part, to get away from it all and begin a new chapter. Local media say that when his cause of death is ascertained, it will likely be communicated only to his family.

Meanwhile, dramatic scenes of flooding gripped parts of Italy this week - leading to some frantic search efforts being launched. Two foreign tourists, a five-month-old baby and his grandmother, were declared missing on Tuesday after floods hit the central Tuscany region overnight, firefighters said. Rescuers searched for the two on Tuesday using divers, rescue dogs and drones.

The baby’s parents and grandfather were rescued from a rooftop after the house where they were staying was flooded as Pisa province was battered by torrential rain. Firefighters did not specify their nationality. The severe flooding was caused by a local river that broke its banks in Montecatini Val di Cecina in central Tuscany.