Power-Pole saddened by sudden death of Gianni Rizzo

The sport of bass fishing in Europe lost a pioneer and Power-Pole lost a member of its family after Gianni Rizzo was killed by a lightning strike while fishing on Lake Bolsena in Italy on Monday.

“Gianni was a great guy, a hard worker and respected by all,” said Dave Carlessi, a fellow member of Power-Pole Italy and friend of Rizzo. “He was one of the greatest fishermen in Italy.”

Rizzo, 36, was one of the first international ambassadors for Power-Pole Shallow Water Anchors. He was a long-time member of Europe’s B.A.S.S. Nation and served as the president for the B.A.S.S. Italy chapter.

“I worked with Gianni with regard to our sponsorship of some Italy Bass Nation events and had the chance to meet him last year at iCAST,” Power-Pole international sales manager Lenny Gurvich said. “He was a pleasure to work with and was a great ambassador for the Power-Pole brand in Italy.”

Rizzo’s teammate, Luca Santoro, was also on board the boat during the incident but only sustained minor injuries. The entire Power-Pole family wishes to extend its condolences to Rizzo’s friends and family, which includes his wife, Claudia, and parents, Lucio and Gianna.

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