A luxury yacht worth £6.8million has sunk off the Italian coast just days after being delivered to its owner.
The Angiola II, a 98-foot superyacht, capsized on Tuesday evening in the waters off Porto Cervo, Sardinia.
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The wreckage now sits in an area between Cappuccini Island and Capo Ferro.
The luxury vessel had been handed over to its new Italian owner just four days before the incident, having undergone an extensive refurbishment.
Video footage captured the dramatic moment the yacht rolled onto its side before disappearing beneath the Mediterranean’s surface.
The events were watched by onlookers aboard nearby boats.
Italian media outlets have placed the vessel’s worth at more than £6.8million.
All 14 people aboard the vessel at the time of the incident escaped without injury.
A dozen of those on board were picked up by a passing boat that was sailing in the vicinity.
The yacht’s owner, whose identity has not been disclosed, chose to stay on the stricken vessel alongside a companion.
The pair remained on the Angiola II as it took on water, awaiting the arrival of a coast guard patrol boat that eventually ferried them to the nearby harbour of Poltu Quatu.
Crew from the La Maddalena Coast Guard spent close to three hours managing the situation before allowing the yacht to sink in a controlled manner.
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Investigators believe the yacht lost its buoyancy after an engine malfunction triggered a fire in the vessel’s seals, which in turn allowed seawater to flood the hull.
The precise cause of the incident, however, has not yet been officially confirmed.
Since Tuesday, the Angiola II has been resting on the seabed at a depth of roughly seven metres, approximately 23 feet, where she is expected to remain until salvage teams can extract her from the water.
Ship brokerage Agenzia Marittima De Felice, which announced the purchase in July, described the unnamed owner as “a client of the agency for many years”.
A pontoon weighing around 200 tonnes is set to be deployed to raise the wreck from the seabed.
The La Maddalena Port Authority is also understood to be implementing measures aimed at preventing any ecological damage to the surrounding waters.
The Angiola II was originally built by Italian shipyard Permare, operating under its Amer Yachts brand, and launched in July 2020 as the sixth hull in the Amer F100 line.
The model offered sleeping quarters for as many as 10 guests, spread across five cabins.
Agenzia Marittima De Felice has been approached for comment.
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