Venice – Count Marco Celio Passi, 44, lost his life when his boat crashed into a mooring post, known locally as a briccola, in the lagoon. The accident occurred at night in front of the island of Giudecca.
Passi, who was the pro-chancellor of the Order of the Knights of Malta in Venice, was killed in the incident, and a 42-year-old woman was seriously injured but is now in stable condition.
On the night of Monday, 22nd July and Tuesday, 23rd July, firefighters responded to a report of a boat adrift and out of control near the island of Sacca Fisola, in the Giudecca area of Venice.
Firefighters managed to board the small fiberglass boat, known in Venetian as a topa, and regain control. They found Count Marco Celio Passi lifeless and a seriously injured woman on board. The firefighters performed immediate first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the injured woman until paramedics arrived.
They managed to stabilise the woman and transport her to the hospital by hydroambulance. Her injuries are not life-threatening. The surrounding waters were searched to ensure no other vessels were involved. The police and port authority are investigating the accident, with rescue operations concluding at 2:00 AM.
Initial investigations suggest the boat collided with a briccola, a wooden structure used to mark waterways in the lagoon.
A Life Dedicated to Service
Count Marco Celio Passi was a prominent figure in the Order of the Knights of Malta. He served as the pro-chancellor of the Grand Priory of Lombardy and Venice and was a delegate in San Polo, where he lived in the Tiepolo Passi Palace overlooking the Grand Canal.
His commitment to the Order, which will celebrate its millennium soon, was unwavering. He dedicated much of his life to volunteering, focusing on rescuing and assisting pilgrims.
Previous Incidents
This event is reminiscent of a similar accident during the 2023 Redentore festival, where 28-year-old Riccardo Nardin died after his boat collided with a briccola in the lagoon.
