TURKEY, — A pirate-themed boat carrying nearly 150 people, including children, sank off the coast of Türkiye and forced all passengers to jump into the Mediterranean Sea on Friday.
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The boat, called the “Big Boss Diamond,” was setting sail for a tour when it began taking on water and sinking, according to News AU.
There were no reported injuries of any passengers and everyone was safely returned to the shore. The Sun reported at least 20 children were aboard when the ship began to sink. The passengers included British tourists, the outlet reported.
The ship was fully submerged in the water about an hour after starting to sink.
It’s unclear what caused the ship to sink and the boat operator said boat trips will resume with another ship, the Big Boss Yagna. The Sun reported people aboard the ship told them an engine failure and potential fire caused the ship to sink.
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Video shows the boat rapidly sinking after tipping to one side in the water. It’s unclear how far into their tour the passengers and boat got before the ship sank.
The boat operator posted, in now expired Instagram stories, the ship is the largest pirate ship in the country and described it as a “family party boat” where children have a soft play area and parents can “party upstairs.”
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No other information is known at this time.