A near tragedy of the sea off the coast of Trapani, where about 1.5 miles off the coast of Bonagia a 24-meter wooden sailboat on which 11 people were traveling, all of whom were rescued, sank.
The captain of the twin-masted “Vesta 5 Defne” alerted the harbor master’s office by phone by calling 1530, for emergencies at sea.
As they were sailing, in force 4 seas and 25-knot mistral winds, crew members noticed that the vessel was taking on water from the engine room. Rescuing the seven passengers and four crew members were two patrol boats of the harbormaster’s office and a naval unit of the fire department. The castaways were transshipped to rescue vehicles and transferred to San Vito Lo Capo.
The cause of the accident is not yet known, but investigations by the Harbor Master’s Office are ongoing to determine the reasons for the shipwreck.