Yesterday morning a 16m motor yacht caught fire while sailing 7 miles south-east of the island of Gorgona.
The boat, a Raffaelli Maestrale ’52 registered in Pesaro, had left the port of Marina di Pisa with nine people on board – including three children – all from Tuscany, and was heading to Capraia to spend a day at the seaside.
The fire forced the passengers to escape in a liferaft. At the same time, the rescue service was set in motion.
The M/V CP 867 was sent to the scene, It brought the shipwrecked people safely to the port of Marina di Pisa. Once ashore, they were welcomed by staff from the Local Maritime Office.
Despite numerous attempts to put out the fire, the boat sank shortly after 14:30.
Livorno Harbour Master’s Office is currently investigating and taking steps to ascertain what exactly caused the incident, to assess any responsibilities and to adopt all the necessary measures to safeguard the environment and the marine ecosystem, although at the time of the sinking no traces of pollution were found.
Translation by Giles Foster