Six people missing after sailboat carrying British passengers sinks off coast of Italy

Six people are missing and one person has died after a luxury sailboat sank off the coast of Sicily, in Italy, early this morning (19 August).

Following the accident, emergency services managed to rescue 15 people onboard, including a child, as the boat ran into some poor weather off the coast of Palermo.

One body has been found since the search for the missing people arrived, though six are yet to be found.

The sailboat had a crew of 10 people and 12 passengers, according to the Italian coast guard.

Authorities confirmed that 15 people were rescued and taken to shore at Porticello, while eight were sent to hospital for treatment.

The vessel capsized and sunk following the encounter with bad weather this morning, with it reportedly going down at 5am.

Divers began searching for the missing people after a wreck was found 50 metres below the surface.

Cari also added that a helicopter and rescue boats are searching for the missing passengers.

A number of international citizens were onboard the 56-metre sailboat, including Brits, while also flying a British flag according to local media outlet, The daily Il Giornale de Sicilia.

It is believed that a brutal storm, which included water spouts, hit the area overnight, as passengers onboard, some from not just the UK, but the US and Canada also suffering as a result.

However, skies cleared and seas calmed by Monday morning.

The Ansa news agency reported that the boat was built in 2008 and named Bayesian, as it was moored at the port in Porticello, Sicily, as it set sail on Sunday evening.

The sailboat is managed by Camper and Nicholsons International.

They told the BBC that they were 'dealing with a situation on board one of [its] managed vessels,' though failed to specify which one, or provide any further information.

Experienced deep-water divers have tried to enter the hull, according to the coast guard, as authorities from the coast guard, carabinieri, fire rescue and civil protection service were at the scene searching for the missing people.

Videos of the dangerous weather have circulated on social media, showing just how brutal it was for those in the area, as local residents also weighed in on the shocking storm that disappeared as quickly as it appeared in the region.

LADbible has reached out to Camper and Nicholsons International for comment.