Several people suffered injuries late yesterday due to an accident in the port of Genoa, Italy. Amico & Co. was about to begin a refit of the classic-replica megayacht Nero, when she suddenly shifted to one side in her drydock. While investigators are looking into the exact cause, they believe a support panel collapsed.
According to Primocanale.it, an Italian news site, the accident occurred shortly after Nero entered the basin on September 10. AIS data confirms that Nero arrived in Genoa that morning. Four people standing on the dock were hurt. Two additional people aboard the yacht required emergency assistance to disembark. However, the newspaper does not indicate any injuries among the latter.
Vigili del Fuoco, the National Fire Brigade Corps, responded to the incident. It tweeted out the video below. The text translation: “10 September 19:00, a yacht leans into a dry dock in the port of Genova: rescued and evacuated by Vigili del Fuoco some people, who were slightly injured, aboard the boat. Safety work in progress.”
#10settembre 19:00, uno yacht si inclina in un bacino di carenaggio nel porto di #Genova: soccorse ed evacuate dai #vigilidelfuoco alcune persone, rimaste lievemente ferite, a bordo della imbarcazione. In corso le operazioni di messa in sicurezza pic.twitter.com/KNwYoITagf
— Vigili del Fuoco (@vigilidelfuoco) September 10, 2019
Accident investigators are trying to determine what caused Nero to suddenly list. They are also assessing damage to the yacht.
We reached out to Amico & Co. for comment. It released the following statement:
On the 10th September at around 3pm, Motor Yacht Nero, situated in Dry-dock n.1 managed by Ente Bacini in Genoa Port for the purpose of undergoing maintenance works with Amico & Co, listed during the pumping out phase of dry-docking, for reasons that are yet to be ascertained.
Emergency services, coastguard, fire services, Ente Bacini and Amico & Co emergency responders intervened immediately. Six crew members sustained slight injuries and were immediately assisted at the dry-dock facility; five of these were taken to the hospital for further tests and were then all released from the hospital during the course of the evening.
The vessel is now in a stable condition and inspections and operations to secure it are ongoing.
Döhle Yachts, which manages the megayacht, additionally released a statement:
MY NERO listed to port and came to rest at an angle of about 30 degrees within the dock.
The yacht did not contact the dock wall and appears to have suffered only minimal damage though the surveys and inspections are ongoing. There has been no pollution or risk to the environment.
The crew safely left the yacht after the incident and there were no serious injuries sustained.
As managers of MY NERO we are working closely with the team on board, the shipyard and all relevant authorities to rectify the situation.
The 296-foot (90.1-meter) Nero launched from Yantai Raffles Shipyard in 2007. Her owner was Neil Taylor, a British entrepreneur with a passion for boating, particularly classic yachts. In fact, he commissioned her as a replica of the famed Corsair IV, owned by J.P. Morgan and launched in 1930 by Bath Iron Works in Maine. Taylor pursued this path because he determined it was easier to build a classic-looking yacht with thoroughly modern machinery and amenities, rather than retrofit an existing vintage craft.
A subsequent owner had Nero undergo a nine-month refit that included new paint and an entirely new interior. Laura Pomponi, the designer, selected some more modern tones and textures, while still honoring traditional design cues.
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