An investigation is ongoing to determine if instability or construction failure caused the bizarre incident. (Image Credits: X/ @rawsalerts)
In a stunning maritime failure, the brand-new luxury yacht Dolce Vento sank off the coast of Turkey on Tuesday just minutes after embarking on its first-ever voyage. The 85-foot vessel, valued at roughly $940,000, had been freshly completed at the Med Yilmaz Shipyard before it tragically submerged, sending its passengers and crew fleeing into the water.
Eyewitnesses described a scene of panic as the yacht began to tilt precipitously shortly after leaving the shore in the Eregli district. All passengers, including the owner and captain, were compelled to swim to safety and abandon the ship. Officials confirmed that no one was physically harmed in the incident, which was captured in widely shared online videos showing the massive yacht slipping beneath the waves.
The sequence of events was swift and shocking. The Dolce Vento was intended to be a showcase of the shipyard's work. Early reports indicated no sign of mechanical failure or a collision, immediately directing speculation towards critical flaws in the yacht's design or construction..
The central theory among experts and observers points to a catastrophic stability failure. This could mean a fundamental error in the yacht’s design, such as improper weight distribution or a flawed hull shape that made it inherently unstable the moment it was in the water.
Conversely, a significant structural failure caused by poor building practices or materials may have resulted in unexpected, uncontrollable flooding conditions. According to the shipyard, extensive technical investigations are underway to determine the exact cause.
With video of the incident fast going viral on social media, it soon became a worldwide sensation.The online response, which concentrated on the yacht's unexpectedly low price and the launch technique itself, was a mixture of shock and scathing criticism. One viral post questioned, “Who tf launches a yacht like this from the shore with wood planks?”, while another user speculated, “That vessel was clearly unbalanced.” Many zeroed in on the cost, with one comment reading, “If a yacht that size only cost $1M, then that explains why it sunk,” implying that severe corners may have been cut during its building.
The focus now shifts entirely to the official investigation. The Med Yilmaz Shipyard, alongside likely maritime authorities, faces the critical task of uncovering the truth behind the failure. For now, the sinking of the Dolce Vento remains a stark and expensive warning of how things can go terribly wrong at sea.
Also Read: Lisbon’s Beloved Gloria Funicular Turns Deadly: Killing 15 And Injuring Dozens
