Watch: $1 Million Luxury Yacht Sinks Just After Launch At Turkish Shipyard

A luxury yacht capsized just minutes after being launched from a Turkish shipyard on Tuesday, forcing the owner and crew to jump into the sea and swim for safety.

The incident happened at about 2:30 p.m. at the Med Yilmaz Shipyard in Eregli, a port city in Turkey’s Zonguldak province on the Black Sea. The 24-meter (about 85-foot) vessel, named Dolce Vento, had an estimated value of nearly $940,000 to $1 million.

According to reports, the yacht had been under construction at the shipyard for more than two years by a Turkish shipping company. Within minutes of its launch, the vessel tilted sharply to port and then rolled over onto its side.

Video footage captured the moment the yacht began swaying in the water, tilting dangerously before it started taking on water. In one clip, a man dressed in a dark suit can be seen standing on the yacht’s upturned side before diving into the sea.

Another video shows a crew member briefly holding onto the overturned hull before deciding to jump off.

Video Credits: Yeni Ufuk TV/YouTube

Eyewitnesses told local media that chaos erupted on board as the yacht leaned heavily. Passengers and crew scrambled across the sloping deck and were forced to abandon ship as the vessel sank deeper into the water.

On board at the time were the yacht’s owner, the captain, and two crew members. All four managed to escape without injuries by swimming back to shore.

The Turkish Coast Guard and local port authorities rushed to the scene soon after the capsizing. Security teams set up a perimeter around the half-submerged vessel as it continued slipping beneath the water’s surface.

Local media outlets, including 7Deniz and international reports from TMZ and the New York Post, confirmed that no one was harmed in the accident.

A spokesperson for Med Yilmaz Shipyard told reporters that a technical investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the disaster. Authorities will examine whether a construction defect, balance issue, or human error was responsible.

Reference: foxnews

Source: Maritime Shipping News