It wasn't a vacation. The family of Giovanni Marchionni, 21, found dead aboard a yacht docked at Marina di Portisco on the Costa Smeralda, are certain of this. They believe the young man from Bacoli had been hired illegally as a skipper, not as a guest.
The Tempio Pausania Public Prosecutor's Office has opened a case of manslaughter, currently against unknown persons. An autopsy will be performed on Wednesday at the Sassari morgue. The family, assisted by lawyers Maurizio Capozzo and Gabriele Satta, will appoint a medical examiner to oversee the entire examination.
The investigative hypotheses
Possible causes of death include poisoning from fumes from the chemical toilet or batteries of the 17-meter vessel, now under seizure. The boy's body was discovered by a port worker on Friday morning, but his death appears to have occurred several hours earlier.
The firefighters with the bacteriological unit, the forensic police, the men of the Port Authority and the 118 personnel intervened on site.
The crux of the matter
The family strongly rejects the version provided by the yacht's owners—a family that runs a major shipyard in Bacoli—that Giovanni was on vacation and decided to stay aboard while they were ashore for an evening. "If he had been on vacation," Capozzo emphasizes, "he wouldn't have been alone on the boat working. We will ask for all the shadows in this affair to be shed light on."
According to family members, the 21-year-old had previously worked without a contract on another construction site in Licola: a precedent that reinforces suspicions of irregular employment on this occasion as well.
The pain of the city
In Bacoli, the wait is filled with pain and anger. Everyone in town remembers Giovanni as a cheerful young man, always ready to lend a hand. But now the memory is mixed with a demand for the truth. "We want to know what happened and why," reiterates lawyer Capozzo. "We won't stop until things are clear."
Meanwhile, Mayor Josi Gerardo della Ragione has announced a day of mourning on the day of the funeral, which could take place within the week. It will be then, as the coffin passes through the city streets, that the silence of Bacoli will cry out louder than any words.
The highlights of the story
The tragedy
Giovanni Marchionni, 21, was found dead aboard a 17-meter yacht moored at the Marina di Portisco, on the Costa Smeralda.
Investigation : The Tempio Pausania Prosecutor's Office is investigating manslaughter; an autopsy will be performed in Sassari on Wednesday. Fumes from a portable toilet or batteries are suspected.
Shadows over his job : Family members and lawyers allege he was employed illegally as a skipper; the owners claim he was on vacation.
The case of Giovanni Marchionni, who died aboard a yacht, is a very strange one. His family says he was working without a contract and wasn't on vacation, but the investigation must clarify everything. The death is suspicious.
Yes, I also believe there are many things that need clarification. The owners' version seems unconvincing, and Giovanni's employment situation was complicated. Let's hope things get clarified soon.