A newlywed man has died while his pregnant wife remains missing after their small fishing boat crashed into a water taxi in Venice, Italy.
Sean Michieli, 25, lost his life Saturday, only three months after marrying his 26-year-old Brazilian wife, Gabriela Querino, according to Italian news outlet L’Unione Sarda.
The couple had been on the Venetian lagoon searching for bait when their boat collided with the water taxi. Both were thrown into the water, and their vessel sank.
Michieli was rescued with severe injuries but later died. His death came nine years after his uncle, Endrius, was killed in a similar boating accident.
Querino, who moved to Italy two years ago and was expecting the couple’s first child, has not been found. Search teams have faced difficult conditions, including muddy water and high tides.
“I just want my daughter back alive,” her mother, Gisele Elorriaga, told Brazilian news outlet Globo.
Authorities have not determined what caused the crash. Investigators are examining whether darkness and fog played a role, while Venice prosecutors have launched a nautical homicide investigation.
Luca Zaia, president of the Veneto Regional Council, described the incident as “an immense tragedy for a family that was just beginning to build their future.”
