A teenage girl was left fighting for her life after a packed illegal migrant boat smashed into her just metres from the shore of a packed Italian beach, with the vessel’s occupants speeding off without stopping to help.
The 17-year-old tourist was enjoying a sunny afternoon on her stand-up paddleboard in the crystal-clear waters of Su Giudeu beach in Chia, southern Sardinia, when disaster struck late Sunday afternoon, 16 August.
Witnesses described how the fibreglass motorboat, powered by an 85-horsepower outboard engine and carrying 14 Algerian men, careered into the teenager near a marker buoy. The impact hurled her into the water, fracturing bones and leaving her unconscious. She risked drowning as she floated limp in the sea.
Bathers and a lifeguard leapt into action, dragging the stricken girl to safety on the sand. Emergency medics intubated her on the beach before an air ambulance helicopter landed on the sand and airlifted her in critical condition to Brotzu Hospital in Cagliari.
Hospital officials later said her condition was being closely monitored with a reserved prognosis. She is understood to have suffered multiple fractures, including to her arm and possibly her head, along with other injuries consistent with being struck by the boat and its propeller.
Shockingly, the boat did not stop. Instead, according to police reconstructions and eyewitness accounts, it powered on for several kilometres along the coast towards the nearby beach of Tuerredda, risking colliding with other swimmers in the process.
Once ashore, the 14 undocumented Algerian men – all adults – tried to flee inland. Carabinieri officers quickly sealed off escape routes, rounded up the entire group and transferred them to the Monastir migrant hotspot for processing.
Investigators identified a 28-year-old Algerian as the man at the helm. He was arrested and jailed in Uta prison on charges of aiding illegal immigration and causing grievous bodily harm. The remaining men were identified but have not been charged in connection with the collision.
The incident has sparked fury across Italy over the relentless tide of small boats arriving from North Africa, many landing directly on popular tourist beaches. Local politicians from the Lega party condemned the episode as “extremely serious,” offering thoughts for the girl and her family while highlighting the dangers posed by uncontrolled arrivals.
Su Giudeu is one of Sardinia’s most famous and crowded stretches of coastline, popular with Italian holidaymakers and international tourists alike. The fact that an illegal landing attempt could end with a teenage girl left unconscious and near-drowning just metres from sunbathers has left many asking how such chaos can be allowed to continue.
Police and prosecutors in Cagliari are continuing their investigation into the exact sequence of events, including whether the boat’s occupants realised they had struck the girl. For the 17-year-old and her family, what should have been a carefree holiday in paradise turned into a nightmare in seconds, all because of a boat that had no right to be there.
A note on comments: Our advertisers enforce a strict zero-tolerance policy on racism, hate speech, and threats of violence. Any comment that crosses that line will be removed and the account permanently banned — no warnings. Debate hard, but keep it civil.