With the Amalfi Coast packed with summer holidaymakers, passengers screamed in terror as huge waves repeatedly slammed a crowded ferry against a pier during a dramatic docking attempt in Positano.
British tourists could be heard screaming and swearing as the boat’s boarding steps crashed into the edge of the dock while the vessel was battered by rough seas and strong winds.
The dramatic incident unfolded in Positano and was captured on video that has since gone viral on social media.
Footage shows the tourist ferry attempting to reverse towards the pier with its boarding ladder already lowered as crew members tried to bring the vessel alongside.
But powerful waves made the manoeuvre almost impossible, lifting the boat before hurling it back towards the dock and then dragging it away again.
Water surged over the breakwater and flooded the busy pier, forcing tourists waiting to board or disembark to move out of the way.
Unable to safely hold the ferry in position, the crew eventually raised the boarding ladder and pulled away from the harbour before making several more attempts to dock.
After a number of difficult manoeuvres, the ferry was eventually able to berth safely and no injuries were reported.
However, terrified passengers could be heard crying out throughout the ordeal.
One woman who said she had been onboard wrote beneath the viral clip: ‘I was there. But know that being on the boat was 100 times worse than what the video shows…’
British tourists watched on in horror as huge waves repeatedly slammed a packed ferry against a pier during a terrifying docking attempt on Italy’s Amalfi Coast
Passengers could be heard screaming and swearing as the boat’s boarding steps crashed into the edge of the dock while the vessel was battered by rough seas and strong winds
The dramatic incident unfolded in Positano and was captured on video that has since gone viral on social media
Footage shows the tourist ferry attempting to reverse towards the pier with its boarding ladder already lowered as crew members tried to bring the vessel alongside
The footage has reignited concerns over safety at the iconic Amalfi Coast resort during periods of severe weather, when high winds and rough seas can make docking at the picturesque but exposed harbour particularly hazardous.
It comes after the moment panicked tourists screamed as their packed speedboat began sinking after being hit by a huge wave in the Maldives was caught on camera.
Last year, unsettling video showed how the vessel took on water while ferrying 45 passengers and three crew from Dhigurah Island to the capital, Malé on Sunday.
Gao, a 27-year-old passenger, said the conditions on the water were very rough that morning, and that a wave damaged the engine less than an hour after they set off.
The Huvafen ‘ferry speedboat’ soon began listing as it took on water, creating chaotic scenes on board as passengers tried to inflate their jackets.
Some began jumping overboard themselves, fearing that they would not have time to get out as water started to rise above the windows.
‘Everyone was actually very panicked, especially some foreign tourists because the captain did not give any instructions,’ Gao said.
‘As I’m a diver, I helped them inflate their life jackets and made sure everyone stayed together.’
The ship sank within just five minutes of all the passengers vacating, Gao said.
Rescue boats were quickly sent out to help the victims, with four children counted among the passengers.
But the desperate operation lasted over an hour and a half due to the poor weather.
After enjoying a diving trip in the Maldives, Gao said she had booked the ferry with plans of flying back to Melbourne from Malé.
The diving instructor, who lives in Australia, explained: ‘The boat left at 7am and was expected to arrive in an hour and a half.
‘There were nearly 50 people on board, and each person had one or two large suitcases.
‘The weather was not very good that day, and the sea was very rough.’
She said a large wave hit the cabin at around 7.40am that apparently caused damage to the engine.
At around 8.10am, the boat began to tilt at a steep angle and water entered the cabin.
Within another ten minutes, ‘more and more water entered the cabin, and the water level outside was almost level with the windows’.
