Boat in marina caught on fire. Photo: Shutterstock A thick column of black smoke was seen from miles away by thousands of bathers at the popular beach near Venice. Coastguard forces and firefighting helicopters were rushed to the scene and managed to rescue all passengers unharmed, just before the ship sank into the depths.
A quiet late summer afternoon turned into a nerve-wracking maritime drama when a 20-meter luxury yacht caught fire off the coast of the popular resort town of Jesolo. Ten passengers on board were rescued at the last minute in what local rescuers described as a "miracle."
The incident began around 6:20 p.m., when a fire broke out for an unknown reason, apparently due to an electrical short circuit in the vessel's internal systems; the yacht was flying the Polish flag. Within minutes, flames had engulfed all parts of the yacht, and a column of thick, black smoke rose into the sky. Thousands of bathers who crowded the local beach and the lighthouse area (Faro di Jesolo) watched the horrific spectacle from about a kilometer and a half from the shore, and some documented the moments of horror on social media.
Upon receiving the initial call, a large-scale emergency procedure was activated. The Italian Coast Guard (Guardia Costiera) immediately dispatched fast patrol boats to the scene, which reached the burning yacht just before the fire completely consumed it. The crews safely evacuated all ten people on board and transferred them to the port of Jesolo. Fortunately, none of the passengers were injured or required significant medical attention.
At the same time, reinforced forces of the National Fire Brigade (Vigili del Fuoco) were rushed to the scene. A special firefighting helicopter, along with teams of divers and dedicated firefighting ships, began intensive operations to control the flames and prevent the fire from spreading to the open sea.
Despite the firefighters' best efforts, the damage to the yacht's structure was too great, and it sank in the evening. Local authorities and the Italian Ministry of Environmental Protection are now closely monitoring the area, fearing that diesel and oil leaks from the sunken vessel could cause environmental pollution along the tourist coastline. An official investigation has been opened to determine the exact circumstances that led to the fire.