A newlywed husband is dead and his wife is missing after their boat collided with a five-tonne water taxi.
Sean Michieli and Gabriella Querino got married on 8 June.
On Saturday morning (12 September), they left Burano, Italy, together on board a small boat to search for bait needed for Sean’s work.
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Shortly afterwards, the couple’s boat collided with a water taxi weighing around five tonnes and sank.
Sean, 25, was rushed to Venice-Mestre Hospital with severe craniofacial trauma and other injuries across his body.
He underwent surgery before being admitted to the ICU. However, he was declared brain dead yesterday (13 September), following hours of tests and observation.
That same day, Gabriella’s handbag was recovered from the waters of the Venetian Lagoon.
Police, firefighters and divers are still searching for the 26-year-old, although they are being hampered by strong currents and poor visibility.
Sean, originally from Cavallino-Treporti, worked as a clam fisherman, as reported by Need To Know.
He had passed his passion for the job on to Gabriella, who is originally from Ribeirão Preto, Brazil, and moved to Italy around two years ago.
She had been sorting out the necessary paperwork and was in the process of obtaining the licence she needed to work in fishing.
Her mother, Gisele Elorriaga, told Brazilian media: “She was building a life for herself over there, and she was happy.”
The prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation into the incident.
The cause of the collision is not yet known, although darkness, fog and the water taxi’s high speed are among the possibilities being considered.
The only witness is the water taxi driver.
Gisele said: “I just want my daughter back alive, nothing else.”
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