Here, surveillance footage captures the moment a luxury yacht capsized off Sicily.
According to the Coast Guard, the six people who are still missing are probably dead.
– You should never say never, but it is reasonable to believe that the missing will probably be found inside the boat, says spokesperson Vincenzo Zagarola according to Bloomberg.
The sailboat, which is a 50-meter long luxury yacht, was at anchor around 700 meters from a port off northwestern Sicily when a storm suddenly moved in. Now pictures have been published that are believed to be the last of the boat before it sank. They were taken by a surveillance camera in the harbor and show how the boat begins to sway and tilt heavily in the storm before it disappears.
15 people, including a one-year-old child, could be rescued from the boat. Two people have been found dead and six people are still missing.
The search continues on Tuesday evening but the hope of finding someone alive is diminishing by the hour. During the morning a body was found near the boat and according to BBC should it be the cook who worked on the ship.
“New storm on the way”
It is believed that the six people are trapped in the sailboat, which is 50 meters deep. But the work is made difficult because the cabins are blocked by rubble, according to Bloomberg. Firefighters specially trained to work in confined spaces have been deployed in the rescue effort, but the divers can only work in twelve-minute intervals.
“The divers are considering how to get into the wreck safely,” according to a press release from the Italian Coast Guard.
– The search will continue as long as necessary. The entire hull will be gone through, meter by meter, says Vincenzo Zagarola according to Bloomberg.
Now comes further complications. Another thunderstorm is expected to reach the accident site late on Tuesday evening.
Well-known entrepreneur
The accident has received a lot of attention as it had been chartered at the time by a well-known tech entrepreneur and billionaire, Mike Lynch. He is also one of the missing, as is his 18-year-old daughter.
According to British media, the chairman of the board of the investment bank Morgan Stanley International, Jonathan Bloomer, is also missing.