The body of the fourth missing in the nautical accident yesterday evening on Lake Maggiore, in the Sesto Calende area (province of Varese), was recovered by divers a little while ago, at a depth of 16 meters and not far from the wreck. The balance therefore settles at four dead, while at the moment there are no other missing persons. According to what has been reconstructed, three victims are tourists (an Israeli man, an Italian and an Italian woman) while a fourth is the wife of the skipper, of Russian nationality.
The accident occurred due to bad weather. A tourist boat, one of these “house boats” which have been populating the lake for some time, capsized with 24 people on board between Sesto Calende, in the Varese area, and Arona in the Novarese area near Lisanza. According to the investigators’ reconstruction, the boat capsized probably due to the suddenly agitated water.
The boat, 16 meters long, had 24 people on board (22 passengers plus 2 crew) some of whom, apparently, they were celebrating a birthday. All the people on the boat ended up in the water: the majority managed to swim ashore between the towns of Lisanza and Piccaluga and were rescued by other boats.
The Public Prosecutor of Busto Arsizio is investigating the crime of “shipwreck, submersion or aviation disaster” provided for by article 248 of the penal code. The hypothesis, all to be verified, is formulated in this phase of the investigation to carry out all the necessary investigations.
Overturned boat on Lake Maggiore, the mayor of Sesto Calende: “there was no weather alarm”
Overturned boat on Lake Maggiore, who are the victims?
There is also an Israeli citizen among the four victims of the tragedy that took place yesterday on Lake Maggiore, where a boat capsized due to a whirlwind. This was announced by the Israeli Foreign Ministry. The Jerusalem Post explains that the Israeli consulate in Rome has confirmed the citizen’s death and that the man’s family has been informed.
Anya Bozhkova, 50, from Russia, was the partner of the owner and skipper of the house boat Goduria, Claudio Carminati, 53 years old. They lived on the boat which was periodically rented out to groups of tourists and which is now about 15 meters deep. “I was hoping it wasn’t really them – an acquaintance said crying – but unfortunately that’s the case, they lived on board, it was their home”. Carminati was heard by investigators. He has “provided his version of him, compatibly with the emotional state of shock in which he is” investigative sources tell breaking latest news. At the moment he is not under investigation but it is not excluded that he will be under investigation in the next few hours to allow for all the investigations of the case in an investigation that focuses on the hypothesis of the sinking due to the terrible weather conditions of yesterday evening but must still evaluate even if the vessel was traveling safely and whether the skipper promptly sailed back when the storm broke. So many questions to answer. The Prosecutor had the task of clarifying whether the ship was in a good state of maintenance, if there weren’t too many people on board, if there were life jackets or other life savers for a possible shipwreck. However, it is certain that the ‘weather’ element is currently the predominant one.
Lake Maggiore, the witnesses: “We saw the shipwrecked people arriving by swimming”
“I heard screams and went out to see, then help arrived”. This was told to ANSA by a woman who lives right in front of the ‘Ulisse’ shipyard in Lisanza (Varese), where some of the survivors of the nautical accident that occurred yesterday evening on Lake Maggiore swam. “I saw the first one arrive, a tried boy who asked for help”, said a second resident, “but we didn’t have time to move, fortunately the emergency vehicles were already on the way”.
Overturned boat, the mayor of Sesto Calende: “There was no weather alert”
No warning that yesterday a storm could break out on the waters of Lake Maggiore. This was assured by the mayor of Sesto Calende, Giovanni Buzzi, as he left the Piccaluga shipyard where he went to greet the owners, “very good people of great professionalism, esteemed in the nautical environment. From here the boat left and then capsized.” I don’t know of any specific weather alerts that had been there in recent days. Even the Civil Protection confirmed it to me. Yesterday there had been some flooding in the city linked to rain but the accident was caused by a major gust of wind. The lake must be approached with great responsibility, usually it is the stretch of water you see but occasionally the wind can pick up”.