A boat engine failure caused by a lack of fuel turned what had been a quiet afternoon at the beach in Casuzze - a seaside hamlet of Santa Croce Camerina in the province of Ragusa - into an incredible treasure hunt. A pleasure boat, travelling from Malta towards the coast of Ragusa, broke down just a few metres from the shore. While three of the people evacuated for assistance and one remained on board, the ship became the center of a mystery. Before help arrived, the crew urged those on board to dispose of numerous bundles of banknotes by throwing them into the sea. The incident did not go unnoticed by the many beachgoers there, who promptly dove into the ocean in an attempt to retrieve the money floating in the waves. It is thought that around €600,000 was on board. The turmoil caused by the rush for cash provoked a large response from the Coast Guard, Guardia di Finanza, police, and Carabinieri. Law enforcement agents recovered nearly the whole haul, seizing and taking much of it from beachgoers. The boat's four occupants were identified and taken to the beach patrol for questioning, while the speedboat was brought to port for inspection. "Without that breakdown, we would never have intercepted it", said Ragusa Police Chief Salvatore Fazzino. The investigations now extend from narcotics trafficking to money laundering.