WATER WHIRLWIND LEAVES FOUR DEAD
Horror as boat capsizes on Italian lake in freak storm
Suddenly the sky went black and heavy rain began LOCAL WITNESS ON THE FREAK STORM
FOUR people have died after a boat carrying tourists capsized in a freak storm in Italy.
Debris was all that was left of the 52ft vessel following the tragedy on Lake Maggiore in the Lombardy region.
The boat had been hired for a birthday celebration.
Unconfirmed local reports said it had been carrying British, Italian and Israeli passengers.
Rescue crews recovered the last body from the water yesterday morning after an overnight search.
One victim was a 50-year-old Israeli man, local television station Tgcom24 reported.
Others victims were said to include an Italian man and woman, and the skipper’s wife, who is thought to be
Russian, according to La Repubblica.
Firefighters said 19 people were saved after a sudden whirlwind toppled the boat on Sunday night.
Five were reportedly taken to hospital after being pulled from the water.
Many managed to swim to shore, or were picked up by other boats.
Italian news outlets said the vessel had been hired to celebrate a birthday.
It was carrying around 25 people, including crew, when the weather suddenly turned. The boat is said to have overturned and sunk between the towns of Sesto
Calende and Arona in northern Italy.
Attilio Fontana, president of the Lombardy region, said the “very serious incident” was due to bad weather.
The whirlwind was part of a storm system that hit Lombardy on Sunday evening, forcing delays at Milan’s Malpensa airport.
One local described the moment the powerful weather front rolled in.
They told Italy’s La Stampa: “Suddenly the sky went black and a very heavy rain broke out.
“You could see almost nothing from the shore, not even in front of the little bay of Piccaluga, from where I believe the boat had set sail from.”
A search and rescue mission was launched with divers, boats and a helicopter in the 41-mile lake on the border of Switzerland.
It is the second largest lake in Italy and a popular tourist destination.
Search efforts were reportedly hampered by heavy rain and darkness.
One victim was said to have been recovered by divers from the wreckage, up to 50ft underwater.
A UK Foreign Office spokesman said: “We are in contact with local authorities in Italy after a boat accident and are ready to provide consular assistance to any British nationals involved.”