Lucrezia Ciotti New information is emerging regarding the boating accident in Venice 's Tessera Canal that claimed the life of Sean Michieli, while Gabriella Querino remains missing. The taxi driver involved in the collision claims he didn't see the woman, while the 26-year-old's family raises doubts about the hours leading up to the tragedy.
Fatal accident between a taxi and a small boat in Venice: investigation underway
The driver has been charged with nautical homicide and has been ordered to undergo toxicology tests to determine his condition at the time of the accident . Similar tests will be performed on Michieli as part of a full autopsy . That morning, the 38-year-old was working as a substitute driver, using a boat and a license registered to a colleague. The 5 a.m. trip to Venice airport was the first of the shift.
The impact caused very serious damage to the small boat , which was hit by the bow of the taxi in the rear left area, near the driving position.
After the accident, two water taxis reportedly passed through the area: the first continued on without stopping, while the second picked up the American tourist couple. The two taxi drivers and their passengers will be questioned by Public Prosecutor Daniela Moroni because they may provide useful information for the reconstruction of the incident.
Drivers will be interviewed in person, while tourists will be able to give their testimony remotely.
Boat accident in Venice: Taxi driver: "I didn't see Gabriella, I just felt the impact."
Investigations are continuing into the tragic boating accident that occurred at dawn Saturday in the Tessera Canal, in the Venice area, where the small boat carrying Sean Michieli and his wife Gabriella Querino collided with a water taxi. The 25-year-old was recovered with serious injuries and later died in hospital , while the 26-year-old woman of Brazilian origin has yet to be found . The taxi driver, a 38-year-old Venetian, claims he saw neither the boat nor Gabriella before the crash. "I didn't see her. I didn't see the small boat in the canal, I just heard the impact ," he said, explaining that he stopped immediately after the collision.
According to his version, the small vessel suddenly appeared in front of the taxi , cutting it off and making it impossible to avoid the impact. The driver also claims to have noticed neither the lights nor the outline of the boat and speculates that it may have attempted a last-minute turn. The taxi, on the other hand, was normally lit. After the collision, the 38-year-old turned off the engine and, looking out, saw the small boat sinking and Sean lying on the fiberglass . He then alerted emergency services and handed the two American tourists he was carrying to another passing water taxi.
Gabriella still missing, family's doubts about the hours before the accident
During the rescue operations, no trace of Gabriella was found . According to the Prosecutor's Office, however, the 26-year-old was on board with her husband: her purse containing her wallet and personal documents was recovered from the seabed , which supports this reconstruction. The woman may have been thrown far away immediately after the impact and dragged by the currents and wind. The Carabinieri continue to investigate every hypothesis, maintaining contact with both Sean's family in Cavallino and Gabriella's family in Brazil.
The young woman's family, originally from Ribeirão Preto , have raised several questions about the hours leading up to the tragedy. Her cousin Emily and sister Marieduarda told Il Mattino that Gabriella was used to video calling her mother, Gisele, every evening, but on Friday that call didn't happen. During the day, the young woman also reportedly had a heated argument with Sean , so much so that she packed her suitcase and considered leaving. Later, however, the two reconciled and decided to go out for dinner. The last contact with her mother was reportedly at 9:45 PM , when Gabriella texted her that everything had been sorted out and that she would be going out with her husband. She hasn't used WhatsApp since.
Although they cannot provide any certainty, they are asking for clarification on what happened in the approximately eight hours between the last message and the 5:30 a.m. incident. Regarding the theory that the couple had gone out in their boat to collect fishing bait , the family confirms that it was a regular activity, especially on Saturday mornings. " We have our opinions, but clearly we can't comment with certainty on something we don't know ," they clarified.