# Missing person investigation in Portovenere > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/missing-person-investigation-in-portovenere > Updated: 2026-08-20T20:25:04.000Z. Sources: 14. Developments: 2. Following the disappearance of 21-year-old Sebastiano Piaggi near Portovenere on Ferragosto, search operations were conducted after he reportedly fell from a rubber dinghy while with friends. On August 17, the Spezia Prosecutor's Office opened an investigation for ‘nautical homicide,’ an action taken under the assumption that there might no longer be reasonable hope of finding him alive. On August 20, the body of Piaggi was recovered among rocks near the site of the initial accident, specifically near the Byron Grotto. Preliminary investigations by the Spezia Coast Guard suggest that waves from another vessel may have caused the dinghy to pitch suddenly, throwing Piaggi and a friend into the water. While the friend was able to resurface, it is hypothesized that Piaggi may have lost consciousness immediately upon hitting the water. The Prosecutor's Office has ordered an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death. ## Timeline ### 2026-08-20: Two young men die in separate maritime accidents in Italy and Croatia Two young men have died in separate maritime incidents: Leonardo Bucci during a jet-ski excursion on Pag Island, Croatia, and Sebastiano Piaggi after falling from a boat near Portovenere, Italy. 12 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/portovenere-body-of-missing-21-year-old-found-after-boat-accident ### 2026-08-17: Portovenere search: Prosecutor opens investigation into missing 21-year-old Authorities in Italy have opened a nautical homicide investigation as searches continue for Sebastiano Piaggi, a 21-year-old missing in the sea near Portovenere after falling from a boat. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/portovenere-search-prosecutor-opens-investigation-into-missing-21-year-old --- Cite as: Missing person investigation in Portovenere. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/missing-person-investigation-in-portovenere