Pirate-themed social gathering boat sinks with Brits on board as rescue groups save all 148 passengers
A pirate-themed party boat sank near Paradise Island on the Mediterranean coast on Friday, May 29, with 148 people on board including British tourists – but all were safely brought to shore
The footage shows the boat’s masts and rigging sticking out of the pristine blue water(Image: Facebook)
A pirate-themed boat carrying British holidaymakers has gone down in the Mediterranean.
The boat, “Big Boss Diamond”, sank close to Paradise Island off the Mediterranean coastline on Friday, May 29. It is believed that 148 people were aboard when the incident occurred.
Video footage filmed and posted on social media showed passengers leaping from the vessel, while others clung desperately to the ship. Twenty children were amongst those on board.
The boat started flooding in Akvaryum Bay in Turkey and had sunk beneath the waves within an hour.
The clips show the boat’s masts and rigging protruding from the crystal-clear blue waters, reports the Mirror.
Emergency crews rushed to assist those aboard and all passengers were successfully rescued to safety.
One British tourist who was on the vessel when it went under said she was “glad to be off it and alive”, according to the Sun.
A statement from the Muğla Governorship confirmed: “Following the report, teams dispatched to the area coordinated the evacuation of our citizens on the boat, with the support of nearby boats.”
“Checks revealed no casualties, injuries, or health problems. The evacuated citizens were safely brought to shore.”
The vessel is billed by its operators as Turkey’s largest pirate ship. It is also marketed as a “family party boat”.
The craft ferries tourists around various Turkish islands.
The boat operator posted on their Instagram story: “Dear guests and friends, thank you very much for asking and worrying about us.”
“We are all safe and fine.”
“Will fixed up Big Boss Diamond we will carry on our boat trips with Big Boss Yagna.”
The cause of the boat sinking remains unclear, but some passengers said its engine ignited.
