British tourists witnessed a frightening scene as a ferry repeatedly slammed into a pier while attempting to dock on Italy's Amalfi Coast. The incident occurred in Positano amid high waves and strong winds, leading to screams and expletives from passengers on board.
Footage of the event shows the ferry attempting to approach the pier with its boarding ladder already lowered. However, powerful waves made the maneuver difficult, causing the vessel to repeatedly hit the dock.
The rough seas also caused water to surge over the breakwater, flooding the pier and forcing waiting tourists to move. Crew members were unable to secure the ferry in position and eventually raised the boarding ladder and pulled away from the harbor. After several more attempts, the ferry was eventually able to dock safely.
No injuries were reported from the incident, though passengers described the experience as significantly more harrowing than depicted in the viral video footage. One passenger wrote online, "I was there. But know that being on the boat was 100 times worse than what the video shows…"
This event has renewed concerns about safety at the popular Amalfi Coast resort, particularly during severe weather conditions when high winds and rough seas can make docking at the exposed harbor hazardous.
The incident echoes a separate event in the Maldives last year, where a packed speedboat began sinking after being hit by a large wave. In that instance, approximately 50 passengers and three crew members were on board when a wave damaged the engine, causing the vessel to take on water and list severely. Passengers were heard screaming as they attempted to inflate life jackets and some jumped overboard. The speedboat sank within minutes of the passengers evacuating, and rescue operations were hampered by poor weather conditions.