Footage of the terrifying incident shows the vessel leaning to one side before sinking
Credit: Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- A pirate-themed tourist boat carrying 148 people, including 20 children, sank off the coast of Turkey on May 29
- Passengers were forced to jump into the sea while they waited for rescue crews, who brought everyone safely ashore
- Dramatic videos shared online showed the vessel leaning to one side and sinking near a rocky coastline
A party boat carrying 148 people, including 20 children, sank into the sea, forcing passengers to jump into the open water.
The incident occurred on the Big Boss Diamond, a pirate-themed boat in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Turkey on Friday, May 29, according to Metro.com.uk, news.com.au and The U.S. Sun.
Footage of the harrowing incident, captured by tourists aboard nearby boats and shared on social media, shows the vessel dramatically leaning to one side before disappearing beneath the water off a rocky coastline. By the end, only the top of the ship's mast remained visible above the surface
The boat had set sail from the resort city of Marmaris, but the vessel began taking on water shortly after while in Akvaryum Bay near Paradise Island, per the outlets.
Credit: Getty
Passengers were forced to leap into the surrounding water as the boat sank while they waited for rescue crews to arrive, according to all three outlets.
All passengers and crew were safely taken to shore by rescue crews, and the boat was completely submerged within about an hour, per the outlets.
The Muğla Governorship, the provincial government authority in the area, confirmed that rescue teams were dispatched to the area and that “coordinated evacuations” took place, adding that “there were no casualties, injuries, or health problems,” related to the incident, according to the outlets.
The Muğla Governorship and the Turkish Coast Guard Command did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's requests for comment.
While authorities have not announced an official cause, several passengers claimed they saw the boat's engine catch fire moments before the vessel began taking on water, according to The Sun. One passenger, a woman from Britain, added that she was “glad to be off it and alive.”
Credit: Getty
The boat's operator posted about the incident on Instagram Stories, reassuring followers that everyone aboard during the incident was okay.
“Dear guests and friends, thank you very much for asking and worrying about us,” the operator wrote in the now-expired Instagram Stories post, per Metro.com.uk, news.com.au and The U.S. Sun.
“We are all safe and fine,” he continued, adding that tours will continue to operate on the vessel “Big Boss Yagna” while Big Boss Diamond is “fixed up.”
The Big Boss Diamond is operated by Yagna Tourism, which organizes daily excursions in and around Marmaris, per the company's website.
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The Big Boss Diamond excursion typically lasts five hours and takes passengers to a series of designated swimming spots and sightseeing destinations throughout the surrounding area.
The company said the boat trip is designed to curate “magical moments of a lifetime.”
Yagna Tourism did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.
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