Comment A superyacht sank off the southern coast of Italy at the weekend in a spectacular capsize captured on video and shared on Twitter by the Italian coast guard. The video footage shows My Saga, a boat of about 130 feet, struggling against the waves before slowly sinking into the water. The yacht was sailing from Gallipoli to Milazzo, Sicily, on Saturday, local news agencies reported, when it started taking on water and eventually sank a few hours later about nine nautical miles outside the port of Catanzaro. All crew members and passengers were rescued and uninjured, the Coast Guard said on Twitter. He said an investigation has been launched to find out what happened. My Saga first reported a problem on Saturday after it set sail from Gallipoli, in Italy’s southeastern peninsula, according to the country’s National Associated Press Agency (ANSA). Patrol boats of the Italian Coast Guard in Crotona and of the European Border and Coast Guard Service (Frontex) were dispatched to the scene. They found the ship taking on water from its stern. Five people — four passengers and one crew member — were initially rescued by a Romanian patrol boat acting on behalf of Frontex. They were then transferred to the coast guard vessel and taken to Catanzaro, ANSA reported. Meanwhile, a towing company was assigned to try to save the ship. A tugboat arrived and picked up the four remaining crew members – including the captain – before towing the ship to Crotona. But, according to ANSA, bad weather made the process difficult, as did the yacht’s position, which was standing in the water. Finally, the tug abandoned the yacht and sank in Squillace Bay. The coast guard took the rest of the crew to Catanzaro. This is not the first time a sinking yacht has attracted attention on the internet. In May, rapper Cardi B posted footage on social media of a yacht sinking near her hotel while on vacation in an undisclosed location. The artist could be heard screaming as she asked if there wasn’t a “big boat that could save it”. Finally, he said “goodbye” as he disappeared into the water. He later clarified that no one was on board. That same month, bystanders watched as another multimillion-dollar yacht, the Rendevous, sank in Torquay Harbor, a marina in southwest England, after a fire broke out on board. Authorities warned of possible air and water pollution because the yacht was carrying about nine metric tons of diesel. And earlier this month, the 145ft Aria SF caught fire off Spain’s Balearic island of Formentera in an incident that was also caught on camera and widely shared on social media. Those on board were evacuated and no one was injured, the Guardian reported. The approximately $23 million yacht had reportedly just been delivered to its owner. Chico Harlan contributed to this report.
