One Dead, Britons Missing After Yacht Sinks Off Italy

The Italian fire and rescue service has revealed the death of one man and six other people missing after a sailing yacht sank off the coast of Sicily in the early hours of today.

According to the report, Britons are among the people missing as the 56m (183ft) yacht was flying a British flag.

The 22 people onboard included 10 crew and 12 passengers, some of whom were American and Canadian nationals. Emergency services rescued 15 people including a one-year-old child.

Local media reported that the yacht sank after encountering a severe overnight storm that triggered water spouts over the sea.

A wreck has been located at a depth of 50 meters, according to the fire brigade, with divers now searching for the missing individuals. The body of a man, confirmed dead, was found outside the wreckage, though his nationality has not yet been determined.

Eight survivors are currently receiving treatment in the hospital, the Italian coastguard reported. Footage from the wreck site shows helicopters circling above several coastguard vessels, while divers in bright orange gear descended into the water.

Since mid-last week, the western Mediterranean has experienced frequent severe storms, with low pressure prevailing. On Sunday night and into Monday morning, a series of intense storms passed along the north coast of Sicily, likely bringing sudden gusts of wind and heavy rain.

The UK Foreign Office said it was aware of the incident and in contact with local authorities.

A statement from the Italian coastguard said that a nearby boat offered assistance to people before emergency services arrived.

Local media have reported that the sailing yacht is called the Bayesian.

The Bayesian’s publicly available onboard tracker last transmitted near Porticello, just after 04:00 local time – shortly before rescue efforts reportedly began.

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