Story By: James King, Sub-Editor: Marija Stojkoska, Agency: Newsflash
This Italian cruise ship officer has disappeared in mysterious circumstances while docked in Denmark.
A search was launched for third officer Alessio Gaspari, 25, after his family in the town of Ortona in the Italian province of Chieti reported him as missing when he failed to return home after the end of a tour of duty.
He had last been seen while on duty on an AIDA cruise ship, not named, when it was docked in the town of Skagen in Denmark, where the search for him is now being carried out. The ship was crossing between Norway and Sweden when it stopped at the port.
It has also been confirmed that some of his personal belongings, including cigarettes, a lighter, mobile phone, keys and clothing, were found on the deck of the ship, but there were no traces of the missing officer.
A CCTV camera where his belongings were found was reportedly not working at the time.
A sea search has so far yielded no results and the seaman who had been working in the job for four years remains missing.
Italian media said that when colleagues noticed him missing, they informed the family who then filed a missing persons report with the authorities.
The family has reportedly been in contact with the Italian Consulate in Denmark to keep up-to-date with the search.
The missing ship’s officer started off as a deck cadet for two years and as a third officer for the last two and a half years. AIDA Cruises is a German company that is a division of Costa Cruises.
It is still not determined whether Gaspari left the ship voluntarily or if there was an accident.
His relatives have insisted that any suggestion he committed suicide should be ruled out as they said he loved his job and when they last spoke to him he was cheerful and happy.
They have also hired a lawyer to follow the search of the missing officer.
The mayor of Ortona, Leo Castiglione, said: “There is no certain information about what happened to him and we still do not know anything about this disappearance.”
The investigation is ongoing.
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