A luxury yacht met an unfortunate fate shortly after setting sail for the first time, resulting in nearly $1 million worth of technology being submerged.
Within just 15 minutes on its inaugural journey, the yacht, named Dolce Vento, began listing and ultimately sank on a Tuesday (September 2). This incident unfolded approximately 600 feet from the Turkish coast, specifically in the northern Eregli district, near the scenic city of Zonguldak.
Thankfully, everyone aboard was unharmed. The owner, the captain, and two crew members managed to swim to safety without injury. In response, Coast Guard and port teams quickly established a security perimeter around the area.
Constructed at the Med Yilmaz Shipyard over five months, the yacht was intended to be delivered to Istanbul, as per the owner’s wishes. Following the mishap, recovery efforts are already in progress, with rescue teams equipped with specialized tools dispatched to the site of the $940,000 wreck.
Shipyard officials have announced plans for a thorough investigation to uncover the cause of the sinking, with technical inspections on the horizon.
Experts have pointed out that issues with stability, such as mistakes in calculating the metacentric height, are among the primary reasons vessels may capsize or sink.
This incident comes nearly a year after the Italian superyacht Bayesian went down during a severe storm off the coast of Sicily. The storm struck in the early morning hours, with a tornado tearing through the vessel.
Tragically, this event led to the loss of seven lives, including British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch and his daughter, Hannah Lynch, along with Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy, lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda, and the yacht’s chef Recaldo Thomas.
At the time of the sinking, there were 22 people on board the 160-foot yacht, including 12 passengers and 10 crew members.
After almost a year, the yacht was successfully recovered from the seabed near Sicily in June, marking the completion of a complex salvage operation.
Currently, Italian authorities are conducting an examination of the vessel.
A comprehensive investigation remains underway, although an interim safety report from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has indicated that the yacht was susceptible to strong winds.