A luxury superyacht capsized and sank off the coast of Sicily, Italy early Monday due to bad weather, leaving one dead and six others missing, Italian authorities reported.
The “Bayesian” yacht had a crew of ten with 12 passengers aboard, including British, American and Canadian nationals, according to the Italian coast guard.
Rescue operations are ongoing, with helicopters and boats from the coastguard, fire rescue, civil protection services, and the Carabinieri (Italy’s national police), Luca Cari, the spokesperson for the Italian fire rescue service, said.
The yacht capsized around 5 a.m. near the port of Porticello following a severe storm, including tornado-like waterspouts, that struck the area overnight.
The wreck has now been located at a depth of 50 meters. Coast guard officials said that experienced deep-water divers have been dispatched to attempt to enter the yacht’s hull and search for the missing people.
Out of the 22 people on board, 15 have been rescued and brought ashore at Porticello. Eight of them have been hospitalized.