£700,000 Luxury Yacht Sinks Minutes After Launch in Turkey (video)

A brand-new £700,000 ($940,000) luxury yacht capsized and sank just 15 minutes after being launched, forcing its owner and crew to jump overboard and swim to safety.

The incident occurred about 200 meters offshore in the Eregli district of Zonguldak, northern Turkey, on Tuesday. Dramatic footage shows the vessel tipping onto its side as people onboard scrambled to escape.

One man, believed to be the yacht’s owner, was seen clinging to the side before plunging into the water and swimming hurriedly to shore. The captain and two crew members also jumped overboard. No injuries were reported.

The vessel, named Dolce Vento, measured between 24 and 30 meters in length and had been completed at the Med Yilmaz Shipyard over five months before being delivered to its owner from Istanbul.

Coast Guard and port officials rushed to the scene, setting up a security perimeter while rescue teams equipped with technical gear began recovery operations. Shipyard representatives confirmed that a detailed investigation will be carried out to determine the cause of the sinking.

Experts suggested that stability issues, such as errors in metacentric height calculations, are often major factors behind capsizing incidents.

The investigation remains ongoing.

The sinking comes months after another high-profile luxury yacht accident earlier this year. A vessel named Amore Mio, carrying tourists celebrating New Year’s Day in Mexico, crashed into rocks and sank during a chaotic trip. Footage showed the yacht slamming into a rock wall as panicked revelers tried to escape. Fifteen tourists fell into the sea but were rescued by nearby divers.