Italian tourist dies in sailing accident off Lefkada: 50-year-old woman struck by mast, partner and friends witness tragedy
A woman from Parma, Italy, died on Saturday after being struck by a sailing boat's mast or boom off the island of Kalamos, near Lefkada. The 50-year-old was on holiday with her partner and two friends.
The incident
An Italian tourist lost her life on Saturday, 27 June 2026, while sailing off the coast of Kalamos, an island near Lefkada in the Ionian Sea. She was aboard a sailboat flying the Italian flag with three other Italian nationals, including her partner and a couple of friends. According to the Greek Coast Guard, the port authority was alerted on Saturday afternoon that a woman had suffered a severe head injury.
The embassy in Athens is following the case and providing assistance to the family.
Rescue and medical response
A Coast Guard patrol boat and a land patrol were dispatched to the scene. The sailboat was escorted to the tourist port of Lefkada, where an ambulance transferred the unconscious woman to the general hospital. Despite resuscitation attempts, doctors pronounced her dead. Her partner and friends are reported to be in shock.
Possible cause of the accident
While the exact dynamics are still under investigation by the Lefkada Port Authority, some Greek sources suggest that the mast turned abruptly and struck the woman in the neck. Other reports indicate she may have fallen after hitting the boom, the horizontal pole attached to the mast. In any case, a fatal head trauma was the cause of death, as confirmed by local authorities.
The victim
The woman was a 50-year-old from Parma, Italy, though a few outlets have given her age as 52. The Italian foreign ministry, through its embassy in Athens, is supporting the woman's family. The vessel has been impounded and the investigation continues.
