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Sean Michieli and Gabriella Querino died in a boating accident in the Tessera Canal, Venice, on Saturday, September 12. Following a collision with a water taxi, Michieli was hospitalised but later succumbed to his injuries, while Querino’s body was discovered days later near Campalto.
An investigation into the incident has been opened, focusing on potential manslaughter, with the water taxi driver, aged 38, currently under questioning. Simone Venturini, the mayor of Venice, emphasised the necessity for improved regulations and monitoring of water traffic to ensure safety in the lagoon following the tragic event.
Simone Venturini, the mayor of Venice, described the incident as “a tragic event that gripped our entire city and ended in a very painful way,” while Democratic Party regional councillor Monica Sambo emphasised the need for increased regulation and monitoring of water traffic in Venice. An investigation into manslaughter has been launched, with police questioning the 38-year-old water taxi driver involved in the incident.
What remains unclear — The exact circumstances leading to the collision between the couple’s boat and the water taxi have not yet been determined.
Couple die in boating accident in Venice months after their wedding
Sean Michielli and Gabriella Querino have died months after tying the knot (Picture: Sean Michieli)
A couple on holiday in Venice have died in a boating accident, months after saying ‘I do’.
Sean Michieli and Gabriella Querino died on Saturday, September 12, while visiting the Italian city, which is close to where Michieli, 25, grew up.
He was from Burano in the northern part of the lagoon, while his wife Querino, 26, was from Brazil, according to local outlets.
They had been struck by a water taxi while in a small boat at around 5am to 6am in the Tessera Canal, with the husband taken to hospital in critical condition.
Querino was reported missing, and a search quickly began using firefighter divers, jet skis, a maritime unit, and a helicopter to find her.
On Sunday evening, Michieli succumbed to his injuries, which included a head injury and abdominal trauma, after undergoing surgery.
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Their boat was allegedly hit by a water taxi (Picture: Sean Michieli)
Querino’s body was later found on Tuesday morning near the island of Campalto, nearly two kilometres from the crash site.
People reported that Querino, who moved to Italy two years before, had been pregnant at the time with the couple’s first child.
Simone Venturini, the mayor of Venice, described the incident as ‘a tragic event that gripped our entire city and ended in a very painful way.’
An investigation has been opened into manslaughter, with a 38-year-old water taxi driver questioned by police.
The man’s lawyer said he had been ‘devastated for days’ and routine toxicology tests have been carried out, but the results have not yet been revealed.
According to the suspect, he had been transporting two clients to Marco Polo Airport, with all his boat’s lights on due to the early morning darkness.
Querino’s body was found days later after going missing (Picture: JamPress)
He claimed that Michieli and Querino’s boat was travelling at high speed without lights when they allegedly collided.
Democratic Party regional councillor Monica Sambo said that officials were waiting for the results of the investigation to ‘fully clarify the circumstances of the accident’.
Sambo added: ‘[This highlights] the need for serious regulation and monitoring of water traffic [in Venice], as well as proper canal lighting to ensure the safety of everyone navigating the lagoon.’
It’s thought that the couple had been out on the boat together in search of bait as Michieli worked as a fisherman.
Luca Zaia, president of the Regional Council of Veneto, called it ‘an immense tragedy for a family that was just beginning to build their future’.
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