From Luxury yacht to wreckage

The Valls 2, which was claimed by the Med during the early hours of Thursday morning, was similar to the yacht pictured above

At around 3am on Thursday 13th September, the four occupants of the boat were alerted to the fact that the yacht was taking on water. Despite using two pumps to try and shed the excess water, the group was unable to prevent the eventual sinking of the boat and took refuge in their lifeboat. The four men, all of whom were uninjured, watched as the boat sank 20 metres into the bay, quickly transforming from a luxury yacht into a wreckage.

The authorities were immediately notified and very quickly the Gendarme of Beaulieu sur Mer, the Gendarme Maritime of Nice and the municipal police of Saint Jean were at the scene. It is thought that the boat could have started taking on water through its engine after having been caught up in a heavy swell. However, the exact reason is not yet known and an official enquiry has been opened under the orders of the Attorney of Nice.

The boat was moored a mere 200 metres from the shoreline of Saint Jean Cap Ferrat and had only recently received an interior makeover. Having been built in Turkey in 1994, the boat had been sailing the seas for nearly two decades and was registered at the harbour of Monaco.

The wreckage is being observed day and night by authorities and a team is working to ensure that the 6,000 litres of fuel that is contained in the wreckage does not leak into the sea, polluting the bay which is a popular mooring spot for yachts. A safety perimeter has been set up around the site of the wreckage to ensure that no boats accidentally plough into the vessel.

Whilst emergency teams worked to secure the sight where the boat sank, on Thursday the four escapees spent the day retrieving objects that had floated up from the wreckage. Tables and clothes were amongst the objects that were salvaged by the men. 

Edward Hetherington