Fear erupts between Forio and Ventotene: a boat takes on water, two people are saved.

The mayday arrived unexpectedly at the Ischia Coast Guard operations room, via the toll-free number 1530. A desperate call for help: a vessel approximately nine meters long was taking on water and in danger of sinking. We were in the open sea between Forio and Ventotene.

The first major challenge for the rescuers was locating the vessel. The reported position was inaccurate, immediately triggering the worst nightmare for anyone at sea: being in danger without anyone knowing exactly where to find you.

Search and Rescue

The rescue team didn't waste a second. The search and rescue system was activated, and the SAR patrol boat CP 807 headed at full speed toward the designated area. Once in the area, a methodical scan of the water began until the crew located the vessel, clearly in distress, sinking ever lower.

The priorities were immediate: human lives first, then the vessel. The two occupants, two Italian adults, were safely transported aboard the Coast Guard vessel.

The fight to keep the hull afloat

With the two people now safe, the military began a second, delicate mission: saving the vessel from a sinking that seemed imminent. Water was invading the hull through the bilge.

The patrol boat's crew then activated the supplied high-capacity motor pump, managing to empty the hull and arrest its fate, moment by moment.
Once the emergency situation had stabilized, a specialized company was called in to provide assistance.

The specialized company took delivery of the vessel, secured it, and towed it to the port of Forio, where it was immediately pulled ashore. There, technicians will conduct all the necessary checks and interventions to repair the leak that caused the flood.

The final outcome of this delicate operation is what matters most: the rescue ended without any consequences for the two boaters, who escaped what could have turned into a dramatic shipwreck.