The world-famous celebrity yacht enjoyed by Princess Diana on her final summer holiday in the south of France has sunk to the bottom of the sea.
Cujo, once also a favourite of Hollywood superstars, disappeared below the Mediterranean waves after hitting an unidentified object off Beaulieu-sur-Mer, on the French Riviera, on Saturday.
Seven people on board were rescued following the accident, but the boat ended up at a depth of almost 2500m (8200ft), said local police.
“The skipper of the Cujo issued a Mayday,” said one officer. “His ship was sinking due to a leak.
“Rescue boats were sent from Antibes, and, after making sure everyone was safe, gendarmes detected a significant water leak at the level of the starboard front hull.
“Her owner had activated the pumps and kept the engines running, but this didn’t stop the boat sinking.”
Salvage launches also arrived, but could not save the boat sinking, around 18 nautical miles off the coast.
All of those on board, including the Cujo’s Italian owner, were placed in a rescue boat, and taken back to shore without injury.
Reports about Cujo – an Indian word that means ‘Unstoppable Force’ – dominated the media in August 1997, when it was owned by Diana’s boyfriend, Dodi Al-Fayed.
The multi-millionaire film producer had spent some £1million refitting the boat, and wooed Diana onboard, as the world’s media looked on.
This was shortly before the couple died in a car crash in central Paris caused by their drunk driver.
That summer, Diana was also photographed on Sokar, the yacht then owned by Al-Fayed’s father, retail billionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed.
Cujo was built in Italy in 1972 for businessman John von Neumann after he told Italy’s Baglietto shipyard that he wanted the world’s fastest motoryacht.
She was fitted with two 18-cylinder engines that ensured she had a top speed of 42 knots.
Following the death of Princes Diana and Mr Al-Fayed, Cujo fell into disrepair.
She was decommissioned in 1999, and spent years in storage, before being restored by new owners.
