According to Italian media, the body of a man has been found after the yacht sank, and the search for the remaining six people continues. Some news agencies reported that the yacht had dropped anchor during the storm and tornado, but local residents say the yacht was not anchored inside the harbor during the bad weather.
According to the social network profile of the local fire brigade Vigili del Fuoco, the superyacht named Bayesian sank at a depth of about 50 meters.
Fifteen people were rescued from the 56-meter-long yacht after the disaster, said Luca Cari, a spokesman for Italy’s fire and rescue service.
The luxury yacht capsized off Palermo, in the north of the Italian island of Sicily, around 5 a.m. morning local time (6:00 a.m. Lithuanian) time.
The ship was sailing under the flag of Great Britain, and in addition to people from the United Kingdom, other nationalities were New Zealanders, Sri Lankans, two French citizens and Irish citizens.
Among those rescued was a one-year-old child who was taken to Palermo Children’s Hospital for treatment.
A search is underway for the yacht’s chef, along with four Britons, a Canadian and two Americans who are still missing, according to online news broadcaster La Sicilia. The search continues with rescue boats, divers and a helicopter, as well as the coast guard and local firefighters.
The Italian news agency ANSA reported that the ship “Bayesian” was docked in the port of Porticello and left on Sunday evening.
The Superyacht Times describes this vessel as one of the largest superyachts in the world.
The yacht is managed by Camper and Nicholsons International. A spokesman for the company told the British broadcaster the BBC that the company was “dealing with a situation on one of the vessels it operates”, but did not confirm which vessel it was or provide any further details.
Bayesian 2008 presented by Italian yacht builder Perini Navi, Superyacht Times writes. – Bayesian can accommodate up to 12 guests in a six-cabin configuration. Combined with a sleek, all-aluminum hull and 1,500 square meter sails, she can reach speeds of 15.5 knots. Powered by twin Caterpillar C-32 diesel engines, it boasts a maximum cruising range of 3,600 nautical miles at 13 knots.”
The UK is in contact with the Italian authorities
The United Kingdom is in contact with the local authorities in Sicily, based on the relevant authorities, reports the British channel “Sky News”.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: “Following the incident in Sicily, we are liaising with local authorities and are ready to provide consular assistance to UK nationals affected.”
The vessel left the Sicilian port of Milazzo on August 14 and was last seen east of Palermo on Sunday evening, with a navigational status of “at anchor”, according to vessel tracking app Vesselfinder.
CCTV cameras captured the stormy conditions that capsized the yacht
CCTV footage has emerged showing the stormy conditions that caused a boat to capsize in Italy this morning.
The video, taken from a restaurant in the Sicilian village of Porticello, was released as rescue teams continue their search and rescue efforts to find the missing people.
It sank within minutes
The captain of the yacht that rescued the people who survived the disaster, Karsten Borner, told how the storm started.
He told Italian news agency Rai that the superyacht tipped on its side and sank “within minutes”.
“Everything happened in a very short time,” he said.
The crew of the Dutch-flagged ship was the first to rush to rescue the people on the yacht.
Borner said he turned on the engine during the storm to maintain control of the ship and avoid a collision with the Bayesian.
“We managed to maintain the position of the ship and after the storm passed we noticed that the ship behind us had disappeared,” he told Reuters.
2024-08-19 21:32:39