Superyacht sinks off Italian coast

MY Saga, a 39m (128ft)  superyacht, sank beneath the waves of the Gulf of Squillace, south of Italy on Saturday (August 20th). It was delivered to its new owner earlier this year.

The Italian crew, sailing from Gallipoli, Turkey to Milazzo, Sicily, raised the alarm with Crotone port authority when the vessel began to fill with water. Coastguard agency Frontex deployed a Romanian rescue vessel from the nearby port of Crotone, southern Italy to attempt a rescue.

The four passengers on board were moved to the patrol vessel immediately, whilst the captain and crew tried to prevent Saga from sinking.

Meanwhile, the coastguard dispatched a tugboat to tow the yacht to the port of Crotone. But worsening weather and the listing yacht forced the crew and captain to abandon the vessel and board the tugboat. Saga subsequently sank. All passengers and crew were unharmed.

An investigation into the incident is underway, with the cause currently unknown.

Saga, registered in the Cayman Islands, was built by Monaco Yachting & Technologies in Pisa, Italy in 2007.

Pictured above: The sad saga unfolds, with the attempted rescue and eventual sinking of MY Saga. Captured by Italian publication, Daily Nautica.

Pictured below: Saga’s current resting place beneath the waves, provided by Vessel Finder.