World-Famous Powerboat Racer Dies With Two Others, While Gunning For New Record In Italy

Media outlets in Italy are reporting the death of legendary high-performance marine industry innovator and accomplished offshore endurance racer Fabio Buzzi.

According to a news story published Tuesday in la Nuova di Venezia e Mestre, the 76-year-old Italian and two other passengers—Luca Nicolini and Eric Hoorn—died when their vessel struck a dam after 9 p.m. Tuesday evening while attempting to establish a new Montecarlo to Venezia record. A fourth crewmember, Italy's Mario Invernizzi, was transported to a local hospital with serious injuries.

"The boat took off and flew 30 meters (almost 100 feet) through the air, landing on its stern on the other side of the causeway, where the victims died on impact,” an official at Venice’s port authority said, according to the Times of London.