The motor ship sinks: rescue for 76 passengers off the coast of Grado

Very scary for the people on board, but no one was injured. The ship was taking on water and risked sinking 5 miles off the coast

by Miloš Malinić and Cristina Rossi

BOLOGNA- It should have been a carefree day, but the boat trip fromTrieste to Grado, for the passengers of the Motonave Audace, was risked having an ending similar to that of Titanic. It was not yet midday when the boat, 5 miles off the coast, began to fill with water, risking sinking and putting the lives of the 76 passengers in danger. The ship then launched the “may day” and the intervention of the rescue network avoided the worst: all the tourists and staff on board were put on the lifeboats supplied by the Audace and taken to safety.

The Coast Guard of Trieste therefore reports that it managed to reach and tow the life rafts on which the 76 people took shelter to safety up to Grado, between passengers and crew, of the motor ship ‘Audace’ which carries out local public transport of passengers between Trieste and Grado.

The Port Authority of Trieste explains that, as soon as it received the request for assistance from the Audace, it immediately sent naval vessels and an aircraft to the scene. The ship was in fact taking on water and was at risk of sinking. Once on site, the passengers had already taken their places on the life rafts, and were therefore brought back to land, frightened but without injuries, the Coast Guard said.

The rescue network that intervened for the motor vessel ‘Audace’, in addition to the Coast Guard men located between Trieste and Lignano Sabbiadoro, included the fire brigade with helicopters, the team diversand the Finance Police. The Audace is still in a buoyant condition and operations are now being prepared to bring it back to land. The motor vessel, launched just one year ago, is 22 and a half meters long and 5 and a half meters wide. It can carry 200 people seated, 120 in the covered cabin and 80 on the panoramic deck.