(Text by Carlo Forni)
Bruno De Silvestri has left us only 49 years old, and has done it with his last dive, deep in meters just as his age: too many meters maybe, but somethign normal to him, but surely too little the years of his life when he leaves the spearfishing, that will strongly miss him. It has been the waters of Porto Corallo, in Sardinia, that somehow have betrayed him taking him away from us. As a passionato for spearfishing and motorsports, where I also work, I feel the comparison is somehow similar to the death and the emptyness left by Ayrton Senna when he died in the Italian F1 circuit of Imola. A strong comparison, but true and valid due to the great qualities of Bruno, not only as athlete, and also as human being.
Charismatic, humble, always smiling and friendly, Bruno has left us doing what he liked the most and where he was a great Champion, spearfishing. Talking about his numerous trophies would not really make sense, as anyone following spearfishing knows about them. We have instead wanted to say goodbye and celebrate him with an enormous embrace by his friends and teammates of the Cressi team, both the Italian and Spanish one, of which Bruno, just like a captain and leader, was part of.
All ApneaPassion staff is close to the Family of Bruno.
Antonio Cressi (Cressi owner, in the name of the entire company): “We are all extremely sad having lost a great person, and athlete of amazing value and a real professional worker… A simple but very skilled man, among the best athletes that we have had the honour to have in our company. With all my heart I offer my deep and sincere condolences.”
Team Cressi Italia
Nino Piras (Team manager): “Today is not at all a nice day….I confess without any shame that I have cried and at every message I receive I continue to do so. Dear Bruno, you had made me cry with happiness constricting me to wear sunglasses not to show my tears. Your victories had made me full of pride and emotions, happy to have you with us in our team…what a joy!!!! Now I cry, without hiding, because I lost you. You have always been a real gentleman, in your private life, in your work, a real professional deeply skilled, and in competitons as we have all known you. Your life was in the sea: work, sport, sentiment. I want to think about you always this way, happy for this, even though the sea this time has betrayed you and all of us taking you away…”
Dario Maccioni (atleta nazionale): “Bruno you have been among the strongest and more determined athletes in the spearfishing world. A unique character, but very respectful and intelligent. Great people in life leave an indelible sign and surely you have done so. It will be difficult to forget about you because you will always be a great champion, an example for all of us.”
Kristian Corrias (Italian Champion together with De Silvestri): “I am shaked by the news. I have lost a FRIEND, and also a companion in spearfishing and in thousands of adventures. GOOD BYE MY FRIEND”.
Fabio Della Spora (athlete): “It is complicated to celebrate a friend, too difficult. There will be always in my mind the neverending phone calls before any competiton in any part of the world, the evenings together during the championships, mirto in Arbatax and the discussions at the Eruopean Championship in Minerva. Only one thing: we will miss you! Have a good trip and as always a great embrace”.
Francesco Diversi (athlete): “When our friend Fabio has called me I did not want to believe in it and I have hoped until the end. You have never stoped giving me suggestions and hints. which I will always take with me. Our sports looses a real Champion both in the sea and on land. With tears in my eyes I say to you: good bye Bruno!!!”
Francesco Lippi (athlete): “Unfortunately I have never had the chance to get to know youpersonally and to congratulate myself with you. You have always been one of my idols, and this increases my sadness amd my pain. Good bye Bruno, rest in peace.”
Andrea Settimi (athlete): “A man…a friend…a great spearfisherman and champion…we have had fun and have gone to the other part of the world…I will remember you this way, smiling even among the pekas of Machu Picchu. Far from your sea, but always deep in the heart. We will miss you. An enormous embrace….”
Alessandro Falciani (athlete): “I knew Bruno since little time, at the last championship in Sant’Antioco, as we were in the same hotel and we moved in the same areas and with the same timing, and immediately he showed his niceness and ease. For me it was the first Italian championship in first category.
After that in the Bologna Eudi show I have had the opportunity to talk with him better and I have realized he was a real Champion, both as spearfisherman, but also and above all as a person…he has left us in the element he loved the most, doing what he preferred and that for no reason at all he would have missed….good bye Bruno, I like to think that in every dive you will be always also with me….Poi in fiera a Bologna ho avuto l’occasione di parlarci meglio e capire quanto fosse un vero Campione, sia come apneista pescatore, ma soprattutto come persona…. My sincere condolences to his family…”
Philippe Carrier (atleta): I met Bruno in 1999 at the Euro-African in Menorca where I was participating with the French national team, and immediately a friendship was born. I have been spearfishing at his home place the following month. Then, being in Cressi team for 20 years, we have kept our friendship and he came to spearfish with me 5 years ago in France. Each time, as everyone, I have been impressed by the incredible level and extraordinary capacities. Thanks to you, great CHampion, for having made me dream and having given me the will to improve myself underwater. I will never forget you my friend. Peace to your soul.”
Cressi team España
Juan Ramon Perez Cabello (athlete): “I have met Bruno in various European and World championships and in Croatia. He has been a great friend among my great friends, an example worldwide for this noble sport. Good sea wherever you are.”
Ricardo González (athlete): “A real pleasure to have competed with you Bruno, fantastic in the water and even more outside.”
Sergio de Julian (athlete): “A great sportsman and a person who had always a smile on his face. Rest in peace my companion and good blu”. ”
Andrés Pita (athlete): “I have met you in the Master in palma in 2012, and I have a great remembrance of your simpathy and your jokes! A big embrace companion and good rest!”
José Luis Fernández (athlete): “I offer my condolences for Bruno to all his Family and all the world of the SEA: A GREAT GUY FOR ALL OF US!”
Valentina Prokic (CMAS Spearfishing President and ApneaPassion international correspondant): “It was October 2001, my first Euro-African championship as journalist. It was in Arbatax, Sardinia, and the race director had invited me on his boat. He said: “Now I will tyake you to our great champion so you will be able to make photos of a great catch”. And that was true: Bruno De Silvestri came on the boat, presented himself and showed me a big grouper. So I was able to shoot a photo with Bruno, his great smile and the grouper. I will never foget his niceness with me in my first important international spearfishing competition… Bruno was a great athlete and spearfisherman, and the world of spearfishing will miss him so much, but certainly he will be always in the eternal blue…”
Alberto Balbi (photografer): “It is very hard in these moments to find a word or a thought…one cannot be clear with the sadness in the heart. With Bruno we have been in many travels, me as photografer and him as great athlete as he was; a champion and a friend in and out of water, always available for one last photo. I have followed him in World, European and Italian championships. A real Champion, a special person…a friend!”