Responding to reports that dozens of bodies were washing up in a southern Italian beach after a wooden boat crowded with migrants broke apart before dawn, Rome-based Paolo Santalucia and Luigi Navarra drove for 7 hours to cover one of the most tragic shipwrecks on Italian shores in recent years.
Their news instinct was correct. More than 70 corpses were recorded, many children among them. Some 80 people were rescued and one week later many are still believed missing. And Santalucia and Navarra’s quick and efficient response allowed AP to be the first international media to be on the ground, documenting the dramatic scene.
Meanwhile, back in Rome, correspondent Frances D’Emilio took charge of the story from early on, sending alerts, wriethru after writethru and sourcing material from rescue services, the Vatican and the reporters on the ground.
Teamwork by Santalucia, Navarra, D’Emilio and others allowed AP a great cross-format advantage, including the first aerial footage and pictures from the scene, which allowed media around the world highlight the tragedy of the shipwreck.