The boat, which was carrying foreign tourists, sank due to rough weather conditions.
One person has died and six people remain missing after a luxury superyacht carrying 22 passengers sank off the Sicilian coast, according to Italian authorities.
Italy’s coastguard and firefighters brought 15 people to safety on Monday after the 50-metre (164-foot) sailboat capsized at about 5am (03:00 GMT) due to rough winds and choppy waters caused by a waterspout, Italian media reported.
One body was located in the wreck at a depth of around 50 metres, a coastguard spokesman told the AFP news agency.
The boat was carrying foreign tourists. The missing people were of British, American and Canadian nationality, the coast guard said.
It was not immediately known whose body was found.
A child, reportedly aged one, was among those rescued. Eight people out of 15 rescued were hospitalised, and all 15 are in stable condition, Adnkronos said.
According to National Geographic, a waterspout roughly resembles a mini tornado over a body of water.
“I was at home when the tornado struck,” fisherman Pietro Asciutto told Italy’s ANSA news agency. “I immediately closed all the windows. Then I saw the boat, it just had one mast, it was really big. I saw it suddenly sink.”
Another witness cited by the agency said: “The boat was all lit up. Around 4:30 am, it was no longer there. A beautiful boat where there was a party. A normal joyous vacation day at sea turned into tragedy.”
Fire department divers are scouring areas around the boat, which was flying a British flag. Helicopters are also aiding rescue efforts, authorities said.
The British foreign ministry had no immediate comment.
ANSA said the boat, named “Bajesian”, had been moored in the port at Porticello and had set sail on Sunday evening. The vessel was built by Italian shipbuilding firm Perini Navi in 2008.
