Footage shows a massive fire ripping through the luxury yacht Da Vinci off Ibiza in the Mediterranean with emergency services rushing to the scene but unable to prevent it sinking
A superyacht has been filmed as it became engulfed in flames in the Mediterranean before sinking.
Emergency services raced to the 91ft vessel called Da Vinci which was stricken close to Ibiza after a fire broke out and ripped through it on Monday morning around 11.20am. Footage shows a ferocious blaze and thick black smoke rising into the sky, with the force of the fire leading it to sink into the sea.
A Spanish maritime rescue team was able to rescue the seven people on board but it said that it was impossible to save the boat despite the help of the fire service. It comes after holidaymakers abandon Marbella as waiters left ‘with heads in their hands’.
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The incident happened 7.3 miles southwest of Formentera, a smaller island off Ibiza and just a 40 minute ferry journey. It is a popular location for yachting and the fire happened during peak tourist season.
It is understood that the fire broke out in an engine room and with four passengers, two crew members and the captain taken to safety. Those on board had tried at first to tackle the fire themselves without success and also had life boats at the ready but they were rescued before they were needed.
The ferry Ramon Llull, operating between Balearic islands and the Spanish coast, had left the port of La Savina in Formentera at 11.15am, heading for Denia, was first on the scene after seeing the fire. When the ferry was told a rescue vessel was arriving, it was able to continue on its way.
The luxury yacht was from the Spanish yard Astondoa’s 95 GLX series and included a wet bar, barbecue and dining table. The Spanish rescue team, Salvamento Marítimo, wrote on X afterwards: “Fire on board the vessel Da Vinci 7.3 miles SW of Punta Gavina (Formentera). CCS Palma deploys Guardamar Concepción Arenal and Salvamar Naos, which also carried firefighters.
“The seven crew members have been evacuated by the Naos to land and they are in good condition. The fire could not be controlled, and the yacht finally sunk. The Guardamar remains in the area cleaning up debris #SeguridadNautica (nautical safety).”
It comes after a group of hapless holidaymakers accidentally sank their hired boat, providing a spectacle for onlookers. Paola Lavanzini, 29, was enjoying a trip to Menorca, Spain, in July with four mates when they noticed a boat starting to sink. The small vessel, rented by a group of tourists on the island, began to list in the water in the town of Cala en Forcat.
Over the next half an hour, it continued to take on water and sink until it disappeared beneath the waves. While no one was hurt in the calamitous scene, it drew a crowd of spectators from the beach and the hotel opposite. Paola, a marketing and events specialist from Zurich, Switzerland, said: “We were watching moment by moment. From the moment it started sinking to when it went down – that took about 30 minutes.
“I don’t know if it was someone from a nearby hotel or the beach that rented it. After it sank, people came with a bigger boat to attach to the small boat and pull it back out. We were impressed by how many people crowded to watch. People were even putting on snorkelling masks to go down and look at the sunken boat. They did manage to pull it out in the end.”