A 29-year-old filmmaker was killed when a dinghy’s propeller almost severed his arm while he was diving.
Cristiano Daniele Giamporcaro was spearfishing without scuba tanks in the waters off Punta Sottile in Lampedusa, Italy, on Saturday (8 August).
He had his diver’s buoy clearly visible to signal his presence in the water.
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His girlfriend was with him and, after swimming, had gone ashore to sunbathe.
She had only just reached the beach when she spotted a dinghy approaching at speed.
The crystal-clear waters suddenly turned red.
The dinghy that struck Cristiano was carrying a married couple in their sixties from Milan.
They regularly visit Lampedusa, where they spend long periods on holiday and keep their privately owned boat moored throughout the year.
Although the exact circumstances of the accident remain unclear, the couple evidently failed to spot the red buoy.
Cristiano may have died from catastrophic blood loss after the boat’s propeller almost completely severed one of his arms.
The Agrigento Prosecutor’s Office has opened an investigation on suspicion of nautical manslaughter against the couple, as reported by Need To Know.
They have already been questioned by the Port Authority, which is working to reconstruct exactly what happened and establish whether they bear any responsibility.
Cristiano was selected in 2023 for the international section of the Festival dei Popoli in Florence with his documentary La ricomparsa delle lucciole (The Return of the Fireflies).
The film, which was also shown out of competition at the 2024 Sole Luna Doc Film Festival, tells the story of the Sicilian hinterland through the eyes of a 10-year-old boy and an elderly shepherd.
Cristiano was a former student at the Sicilian branch of the Experimental Cinematography Centre.
Its director, Ivan Scinaro, recalled: “He was so talented that just a month ago they called him back to mentor the new students.”
Originally from Caltanissetta, Cristiano returned to Lampedusa every year with his cameras, working on a film that he had been building over time.
His body was recovered by a Coast Guard vessel with the assistance of a specialised private boat.
He is survived by his mother, Marina, a professor at the University of Palermo, and his father, Ruben.
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