A 21-year-old yacht captain has been found dead on a motorboat in Sardinia, with investigators suspecting he was overcome by toxic fumes from a chemical toilet or batteries. Giovanni Marchionni, from Bacoli near Naples, was discovered unresponsive in the cramped cabin of a 17-metre vessel moored at Marina di Portisco, in north-eastern Sardinia, on Friday.
An autopsy is due to take place as part of a manslaughter investigation launched by the Tempio Pausania prosecutor's office. Early indications suggest the young skipper may have inhaled noxious fumes, possibly from the boat's chemical toilet or hull batteries, according to regional newspaper L'unione Sarda. The boat has been seized for examination.
Giovanni had only recently obtained his boating licence and was hired cash-in-hand to captain the vessel for a two-week holiday after the owner and her family set off. The mayor of his hometown, Josi Gerardo Della Ragione, described him as "a cheerful young man, loved by many, a dreamer who loved the sea" and declared a day of mourning for his funeral.
It is reported that a young woman was with Giovanni the night before his death but left after noticing a "bad smell". Specialists in hazardous substances, police, and harbour authorities attended the scene. The yacht's owner, a businesswoman from near Naples, claimed Giovanni was a holiday guest. The case has gained national attention in Italy.
