Several British tourists are feared missing after a boat sank off the coast of Sicily. The UK-flagged sailboat’s sinking has left seven individuals unaccounted for following a rescue operation.
The Italian Coastguard and firefighters managed to rescue 15 people, among them a one-year-old child. It is believed the vessel succumbed to a tornado that hit the region.
The majority of those on board were British, along with a New Zealander, a Sri Lankan national, two Anglo-French individuals, and an Irish citizen. According to the Italian news outlet Il Fatto Quotidiano, the boat went down near Porticello around 5am local time (4am GMT) on Monday (August 19).
Dive teams have reached the sunken hull, located 49 meters underwater and roughly half a mile from shore, as reported by the same source, reports the Express. Those rescued from the ill-fated vessel have been brought to Porticciolo, detailed Il Fatto Quotidiano.
The Agenzia ANSA news service has announced that efforts to find the seven missing from the dawn-sunken sailing boat are ongoing near Porticello. The agency’s report indicates that the missing include four Britons, a Canadian, and two Americans.
A Facebook post showing the last image taken at 10pm before the disaster stated: “Last picture I took at 10pm. The yacht on the left sunk at 4:05, caught in the middle of the hurricane 300 meters from the port of Porticello, next to another sailboat that provided rescue.
“It looks like there are 22 on board but unfortunately seven missing, they’re still afraid inside the hull. Unbelievable tragedy tonight. I’m out of words.”
Another Italian daily, Corriere della Sera, has identified the boat involved as the Bayesian, a superyacht which, according to an online profile, was launched in 2008. The Superyacht Times has reported that the Bayesian’s hull and superstructure are constructed out of aluminium and is outfitted with two MTU engines, facilitating a top speed of 15.6 knots.
It’s been disclosed that the vessel was crafted by Perini Navi, a renowned boatmaker located in Viareggio, Tuscany. The boat capsized at around 5am off Palermo.
Local media said a fierce storm, including water spouts, battered the area overnight. The daily Il Giornale de Sicilia reported the sailboat was flying a British flag and had mostly British passengers on board, but also people from New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Ireland and British-French citizens.
The ANSA news agency said the boat, which it said was named Bajesian, had been moored in the port at Porticello and had set sail on Sunday evening.
A small and localized tornado – known as a waterspout – spun over the area Sunday through Monday and likely caused the boat to sink, according to a report from the European Severe Weather Database.
Other strong storms across Sicily brought torrential rainfall late Sunday, dumping more than 4 inches (100 mm) of rainfall, in the Brolo, east of Palermo, in less than four hours.
The weather forecast had warned of potential strong winds, with storms across the entire southern region of Italy Sunday, a Coast Guard spokesperson added.
The captain is among the survivors, the spokesperson for Italy’s Coast Guard said.
The 56-meter yacht called the “Bayesian,” which flies under a British flag, had mostly British passengers and crew, in addition to two Anglo-French, one New Zealander, one Irish and one Sri Lankan, the spokesperson told CNN.
The Italian fire brigade said its divers had reached the yacht’s hull 49 meters (160 feet) below sea level, according to a press statement. The brigade also dispatched helicopters to bolster the search operation.
The captain of a nearby boat said he turned on his engine to avoid crashing into the Bayesian, Reuters reported, as fierce gales swept the area.
“This morning we got this strong gust and we had to start the engine to keep the ship in an angled position,” he told reporters on Monday. “After the storm was over, we noticed that the ship behind us was gone.”
--With agencies inputs
