In February 1855, under Captain Jugan, she departed Toulon with a crew of 301 and 392 soldiers as reinforcements for the French army[1] On 15 February 1855, in the Strait of Bonifacio near the Lavezzi Islands, Sémillante was caught in a storm.

Lost in a thick fog, a gust of wind drove the ship into rocks on Ile Lavezzi, the 200 ha main island of the archipelago.

For weeks, bodies of the victims washed up on the shore of Île Lavezzi.

The remains of 600 of the people on board were eventually recovered and buried in the Achiarino cemetery on the island.

[citation needed] The wreck is cited as a triggering event that raised public awareness of naval disasters and spurred the creation of coastal rescue organizations.