A wedding celebration in Venice turned tragic when a 25-year-old groom died and his pregnant wife went missing following a boat collision on Saturday. The couple, Sean Michieli and Gabriela Querino, were on a fishing boat in the lagoon searching for bait when it collided with a water taxi. The impact threw them both into the water, and their boat subsequently sank.
Michieli was recovered from the water with severe injuries and later died. This incident marks a devastating loss for the family, as Michieli’s uncle, Endrius, also died in a boating accident nine years prior. Querino, a 26-year-old Brazilian national who had moved to Italy two years ago, remains missing. Search efforts are being hampered by the murky waters and high tides in the lagoon.
Querino's mother, Gisele Elorriaga, expressed her anguish, telling Brazilian outlet Globo, “I just want my daughter back alive.” The couple had been married for three months, and Querino was expecting their first child.
Venice prosecutors have opened a nautical homicide investigation into the incident. While the cause of the collision is still under investigation, potential contributing factors such as darkness and fog are being considered. Luca Zaia, president of the Regional Council of Veneto, described the event as “an immense tragedy for a family that was just beginning to build their future.”