The Dolce Vento yacht, which translates in English to ‘sweet wind’, sank just 15 minutes into its maiden voyage off the coast of Turkey, forcing the owner, captain, and two crew members to jump overboard
A $1 million luxury yacht plunged beneath the waves off the coast of Turkey just 15 minutes into its maiden voyage, forcing terrified passengers and crew to leap overboard.
Footage captured the vessel, named Dolce Vento – Italian for “Sweet Wind” – gliding into the waters off the coast of Zonguldak in northern Turkey before listing to one side and gradually disappearing beneath the surface.
It marked the first time the roughly 85-foot boat, valued at around $940,000, had taken to the seas after being delivered to its owner from Istanbul.
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The owner, skipper, and two crew members were spotted diving overboard and swimming safely to shore. The Coast Guard and port teams established a security cordon around the vessel, reports the Mirror US.
The clip was posted on Instagram and racked up thousands of views. “It comes with a submarine mode too?” joked one person. Another person wrote: “Seems like a really expensive way to test life jackets.”
Meanwhile, others speculated that the top of the ship was too top-heavy, which could’ve caused the sinking.
“The accident likely occurred due to an excessive top weight, which resulted in a low metacentric height,” wrote one person.
“This condition significantly reduced the yacht’s stability, causing it to capsize shortly after launch. Proper weight distribution and stability calculations are crucial before launching any vessel.”
An investigation into the sinking is ongoing, and the yacht will be inspected to determine what happened.
It comes after a mum’s dream £2,500 family holiday to Turkey became a nightmare after she slipped on the “unlabelled” wet floor of a “pirate boat” and broke her leg in three places.
Shannon Hill, 34, booked a trip abroad with her husband for the first time since 2019. The parents jetted off with their kids – Dexter, four, and Penelope, two – and Shannon’s mother-in-law, for a fortnight-long stay in Antalya, Turkey, on May 6. Shannon said the first week in the four-star resort was everything they hoped for on their first family holiday.
On May 16 they boarded a pre-booked “pirate ship boat trip” for their kids. But when Shannon went to use the toilet, she slipped on an “unlabelled” wet floor and “heard the bone snap” in her lower right leg. Doctors revealed her leg was broken in three places – requiring surgery to add screws and a metal plate to reconnect the bones. She said the surgery left her “screaming in pain.”
Shannon has had to learn how to walk again and remains in pain as she awaits her second procedure in December. The horror holiday has left her with a fear of wet floors and boats and too “freaked out” to book another trip away.