Tragedy has struck in the port of Livorno. A 30-year-old harbour pilot, Nico Ulivieri, at the helm of his pilot launch, lost his life after his boat capsized. The accident occurred at the harbour entrance. Initial reports suggest that the pilot boat operated by Ulivieri capsized following a collision with the yacht Calipso, flying a Cayman Islands flag.
It seems that Ulivieri was unable to get out of the pilot boat. Apparently, the immediate inflation of his life jacket prevented him from diving down to free himself from the boat’s upturned hull.
The Coast Guard and emergency services responded immediately. Firefighters and police also arrived on the scene. However, all attempts to rescue the pilot proved futile. The body was subsequently transferred to the port’s fire station.
In the evening, it was handed over to the judicial authorities, who ordered an autopsy.
According to media reports, Ulivieri had got married a year ago and was due to become a father in March.
The USB union has called for an immediate 24-hour strike, which began yesterday at midnight and will continue until this evening.
Port Network Authority president, Davide Gariglio, expressed his condolences: “On behalf of the entire Livorno port community and all the employees here at the North Tyrrhenian Port Network Authority, we wish to express our immense sorrow and deepest sympathy to the family and colleagues of Nico Ulivieri who lost his life yesterday afternoon in an accident whose causes are still being investigated,” he said.
Translation by Giles Foster
