Three spies and Russian woman killed as party boat hit by deadly ‘whirlwind’

A former Israeli spy, two Italian intelligence agents and a Russian woman have all lost their lives in a freak weather incident.

The 52ft pleasure boat Goduria capsized in Lake Maggiore between Italy and Switzerland after it was hit by a “whirlwind”.

The bizarre moment caused the boat to upturn, tipping everyone onboard into the water.

READ MORE: ISIS terrorists desperate to become martyrs 'unfazed by eight lifetimes in jail'

Five were rescued by emergency services out in the water and 14 managed to make the 150-yard swim back to shore.

Attilio Fontana, president of the Lombardy region, said on Sunday (May 28) that a “whirlwind” had caused the capsizing.

Four are understood to have perished including former member of the Israeli security services Erez Shimoni, 50, his country’s foreign ministry has confirmed.

Also among the dead were Italian intelligence agents Claudio Alonzi, 62, and Tiziana Barnobi, 53.

Russian woman Anya Bozhkova, 50, lost her life also. She was the partner of captain Claudio Carminati, 53, who owned the boat.

A spokesperson for the Italian security service said: "The two employees, belonging to the intelligence department, were taking part in a convivial meeting organised to celebrate the birthday of one of the group."

• 

  Navy SEAL who killed Osama bin Laden ‘knew we were going to die’ on mission

Alfredo Mantovano, the senior government official in charge of overseeing the security services, expressed his sympathies for the victims of the deceased.

No specific information about what their roles were for the security services was given.

Reports claim the boat sank quickly, with one victim going down with it, reports claim.

On board were both Italian and foreign tourists when the strong winds upturned the boat at around 7pm.

A witness told La Stampa: "Suddenly, the sky turned black, a very heavy rain broke out and you could see almost nothing from the shore, not even in front of the little bay of Piccaluga, from where I believe the boat left."

For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletter by clicking here.

READ NEXT:

• Plot to kill the Queen with 'object' dropped onto Royal Yacht from iconic bridge
• Israel-Gaza ceasefire broken after bloke 'accidentally leant on missile launcher timer'
• Brit mum who went to prison after joining ISIS rebrands herself as fashion influencer

Source: Read Full Article