Yael Trepy is awake. The Cagliari striker was extubated on Tuesday afternoon and, according to the hospital treating him, showed no visible signs of brain damage from the aspiration that had left him in a medically induced coma since Sunday evening.
Doctors at the Santissima Annunziata Hospital in Sassari lifted the neuromuscular blockade during the day, then progressively reduced sedation before removing the ventilator.
“The maintenance of optimal respiratory gas exchange made it possible to discontinue mechanical ventilation and proceed with the patient’s extubation in the afternoon,” Dr. Stefania Milia, the intensive care unit’s director, said in the hospital’s evening bulletin issued at 6:45pm local time.
The bulletin described Trepy as “alert and cooperative” once he came round, with stable respiratory and cardiovascular readings and “no evident neurological deficits.”
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He remains in intensive care for close monitoring, as doctors watch for complications from the aspiration syndrome caused by inhaling large amounts of water.
What happened at the villa
Trepy nearly drowned on Sunday evening at a private villa on Sardinia’s Costa Smeralda, during a weekend off between fixtures. According to Unione Sarda, citing initial findings from local police, the young forward, who could not swim, felt unwell in the water, drifted into the deep end and inhaled a significant quantity of it before those around the pool pulled him out.
He was intubated at the scene and airlifted to Sassari, where a chest CT scan showed large amounts of fluid in his lungs. Doctors placed him in a medically induced coma to protect his airway and support his breathing.
The ANSA news agency reported that the striker spent roughly 48 hours in the induced coma before Tuesday’s extubation.
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From the academy to the first team
The forward was born in Villeneuve-Saint-Georges just outside Paris and joined Cagliari’s academy in 2022 from US Créteil-Lusitanos, signing his first professional contract with the Sardinian club in August 2024.
His senior debut came against Cremonese in January 2026, and he marked it with the equalizer in a 2-2 draw. Trepy has made eight Serie A appearances and scored once. He also helped Cagliari’s Primavera side beat AC Milan 3-0 in the 2025 Coppa Italia Primavera final.
His most recent outing was Cagliari’s Coppa Italia first-round win over Arezzo on 14 August, when he started and played 54 minutes before being replaced by Daniel Maldini. The near-drowning came two days later.
Cagliari have not commented on his sporting prognosis. The club has said it is in constant contact with the hospital and the family, and has asked that their privacy be respected.
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