One dead, six missing after luxury superyacht capsizes off Sicily coast | Shipping News

The boat, which was carrying foreign tourists, sank due to rough weather conditions.

One person has died and six remain missing after a luxury superyacht with 22 people on board sank off the Sicilian coast, according to Italian authorities.

Italy’s coastguard and firefighters brought 15 people to safety on Monday after the 50-metre (164-foot) sailboat capsized at about 5am (03:00 GMT) due to rough winds and choppy waters caused by a waterspout, Italian media reported.

One body was located in the wreck at a depth of about 50 metres, a coastguard spokesman told the AFP news agency. The victim is understood to be a man.

The boat was carrying foreign tourists and crew. The missing people were of British, American and Canadian nationality, the coastguard said.

A child, reportedly aged one, was among those rescued. Eight people out of 15 rescued were hospitalised, and all 15 are in stable condition, according to Italian news agency Adnkronos.

According to National Geographic, a waterspout roughly resembles a mini-tornado over a body of water. It likely occurred as storms and heavy rainfall have hit Italy in recent days – with floods and landslides causing damage in the north – after weeks of scorching heat.

“I was at home when the tornado struck,” fisherman Pietro Asciutto told Italy’s ANSA news agency. “I immediately closed all the windows. Then I saw the boat, it just had one mast, it was really big. I saw it suddenly sink.”

Another witness quoted by the agency said: “The boat was all lit up. Around 4:30 am, it was no longer there. A beautiful boat where there was a party. A normal joyous vacation day at sea turned into tragedy.”

Fire department divers are scouring areas around the boat, which was flying a British flag. Helicopters are also aiding rescue efforts, authorities said.

A UK foreign ministry spokesperson said British officials were in contact with local authorities and are willing to provide consular support to its citizens who were affected.

ANSA said the boat, named “Bajesian”, had been moored in the port at Porticello and had set sail on Sunday evening. The vessel was built by Italian shipbuilding firm Perini Navi in 2008.