While on route from Belgium to Portugal, on January 18, 2007, during European windstorm Kyrill, severe gale force winds and huge waves caused serious damage to Napoli's hull, including a crack in one side and a flooded engine room. The ship was then 50 miles (80 km) off the coast of The Lizard, Cornwall.

At approximately 10:30 UTC, the crew sent out a distress call. Not long afterwards, the captain ordered the crew to abandon ship into one of the lifeboats. They were out at sea for several hours before all 26 crew were picked up from their lifeboat by Sea King helicopters of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm and taken to Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose in Cornwall. During the difficult rescue, one helicopter broke two winch lines, making it even harder to rescue the seamen. The rough seas and gale force winds gave the men acute seasickness, and in some cases dehydration due to overheating.

Of the 41,773 tonnes of cargo on board, "1,684 tonnes are of products classified as dangerous by the International Maritime Organization". Some 103 containers fell into the sea. Oil spilt 5 miles to the north-east, which affected some sea birds. More than 420 were taken to the nearby West Hatch RSPCA Wildlife Centre, though most of the affected creatures faced permanent injury or death. The specialised oil spill response vessel (bâtiment de soutien, d’assistance et de dépollution) BSAD Argonaute proceeded to the spill area with anti-pollution personnel and equipment.

After containers from the wreck began washing up at Branscombe, around two hundred people went onto the beach to scavenge the flotsam, despite warnings from the police that those failing to notify the Receiver of Wreck of goods salvaged risked fines. Scavenged goods include several BMW R1200RT motorcycles, empty wine casks, nappies, perfume, and car parts. After initially tolerating a "salvage" free-for-all, by 23 January the police had branded the activity of scavengers "despicable", closed the beach, and announced that they would use powers not used for 100 years to force people to return goods they had salvaged without informing the authorities, pointing out that under the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 such actions constituted an offence equivalent to theft