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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
World
Ryan Fahey

Moment superyacht sinks off Italian coast as coastguard rushes to save passengers

Horrifying footage shows the moment an enormous and expensive superyacht sank off the coast of Italy.

The Italian coast guard rushed to the patch of water nine miles off the coast of Catanzara in southern Italy, where the boat slipped beneath the waves.

They launched a rescue operation, saving all passengers and crew aboard the 40-metre-long boat, which was called the My Saga and hoisting the Cayman Islands flag when it went down.

An investigation into the cause of the incident has been launched, the coast guard added.

Local media reported four passengers and a member of staff were saved first by Romanian and Italian patrol boats before being rushed to the city's marina.

A tug boat called the Alessandro Secondo then turned up to rescue the other four crew members, including the captain who had stayed behind.

The huge superyacht went down nine miles off the coast of Italy (@guardiacostiera/Twitter)

While towing the yacht back to Crotone Port, inclement weather created difficulties and eventually water started pouring into the hull.

The Alessandro gave up and the MySaga sank.

The captain of the My Saga realised the ship was taking on water from the stern in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Thankfully, the crew and passengers survived (@guardiacostiera/Twitter)

In April, a Japanese tourist boat carrying 26 people sank in rough waters - with no sign of survivors hours later, the coastguard said.

The 19-ton Kazu1 was cruising off the scenic Kashuni Falls, near the tip of the Shiretoko Peninsula in the northern island Hokkaido, when it sent a distress call on Saturday afternoon.

Six patrol boats and four aircraft have been launched amid a major search after the report came in around 1.15pm local time (5.05am UK).

The passengers and crew were saved by patrol boats and a tug boat (@guardiacostiera/Twitter)

The vessel - operated by two crewmen - warned its bow had flooded and the boat was tilting at a 30-degree angle.

Of those on board two were children - with all said to be wearing life jackets.

Fishing boats had been returning to port due to bad weather at the time.

A local fisheries cooperative said high waves and strong winds were reported in the area around midday.

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