Tragedy in Venice: 17-year-old dies on catamaran in the event of a sailing accident!

Tragedy in Venice: 17-year-old dies on catamaran in the event of a sailing accident!

A tragic shipping disaster occurred on Saturday, May 17th, 2025, in the Lagoon of Venice, where a 17-year-old Italian named Anna died in a sailing accident. The incident happened around 6:40 p.m. in the Sant’elena marina, when Anna, who was on board a catamaran, fell overboard at a costume party. Accordingly, she held a rope that wrapped around the ship's screw and pulled it under water. It was her first working day on board the catamaran that was rented for an Italian vacation.

The captain of the catamaran immediately jumped into the water to help Anna, but could not free her from the rope in time. The fire brigade and specialized divers were alerted and were on site within just eight minutes. A diver cut through the rope and liberated the young woman, but the attempts at resuscitation of a medical rescue team were unsuccessful. According to reports, Anna had suffered a fatal trauma trauma when she was hit by the ship's screw. She came from Treviso and studied at the seafarers' university in Venice, whereby she had a great passion for sailing. The job on the catamaransoll was your test for the upcoming summer months.

accident at celebrations

The circumstances of the accident have raised many questions, especially with regard to the safety precautions that were taken on board during the celebrations. The tragedy is reminiscent of other accidents in which boat trips had fatal consequences. For example, on August 19, 2024, the luxury yacht "Bayesian" fell off the coast of Sicily, with all seven people on board, including the British billionaire Mike Lynch and his daughter. The corpses of this tragedy were recovered from a depth of 50 meters. Investigators of the public prosecutor's office and imerese wash the circumstances of the accident and examine, among other things, the weather conditions and the decision to put the anchor at such a big depth. The British Marine Accident Investigation Branch carried out a separate examination because the yacht drives under the flag of the Isle of Man.

In reporting on these sad events, it becomes clear that sailing and maritime activities are always associated with risks. Rescue organizations such as the German Society for the Rescue of Shipwind (DGZRS) carry out around 2,000 missions in the North and Baltic Sea annually. In 2023, the sea rescuers provided 3,532 people, which is above average. This underlines the challenges with which the water sports community is confronted.

rescue campaigns and challenges

The DGZRS is known for reacting quickly in critical emergencies. For example, on October 11th there was a fire on the 73 -meter -long "Annika" tanker, which was expected to invite 640 tons of oil. In this case, a sea rescue boat managed to save seven seafarers. The challenges for rescue organizations are enormous, especially in bad weather conditions and unforeseen situations. Traffic in the waters increases, which increases the risk of accidents.

The tragedy of Anna in Venice and the misfortune of the "Bayesian" are reminders to the water sports community that they are always aware of the incidents that can happen in the water. Such events are not only personal fates, but also lead to intensive discussions about security measures and rescue measures on the water.

For the survivors of Anna and for those affected in Sicily, it remains to be hoped that the causes of these tragedies will be informed and teach to prevent future accidents.

Mercury reports on the accident in Venice
fr.de describes the incident with the Jacht bayesian
Yacht.de informs about rescue operations from the DGZRS