One person was killed and six others went missing after a luxury yacht sank in a storm off the coast of the Sicilian capital, Palermo, according to Italian media.
Italy’s fire brigade and coast guard earlier said divers were searching for seven missing people and did not immediately confirm whether any bodies had been found.
The 56-metre-long (184 feet) luxury sailboat, which was British-registered, sank with 22 people on board after being hit by a fierce storm at sunrise, the coast guard said in a statement.
It said one crew member and six passengers were missing, and that they were British, American and Canadian citizens.
According to local media, the eight rescued people, including a one-year-old child, were shifted to local hospitals and all are in stable condition.
The Coast Guard has named the boat “Bayesian,” which was built by Italian shipbuilder Perini in 2008.
According to online specialist yacht sites, the luxury vessel has an aluminium hull, a maximum speed of 15 knots and can carry up to 12 guests and 10 crew members.
According to ship tracking app VesselFinder, the boat left the port of Milazzo in Sicily on August 14 and was last seen east of Palermo on Sunday evening (August 18), with its navigation status being “at anchor”.