MUĞLA, Turkey — A sun-drenched holiday excursion transformed into an ocean rescue drama on Friday afternoon, May 29, 2026, when a massive, pirate-themed family party boat carrying nearly 150 passengers rapidly sank off the Mediterranean coast near Paradise Island.
Despite scenes of initial panic that saw holidaymakers leaping into the sea, emergency rescue teams and nearby vessels executed a flawless evacuation, bringing all 148 people safely back to dry land with zero injuries reported.
The vessel, identified as the Big Boss Diamond—advertised by its operators as the largest pirate ship in Turkey—was underway for a routine island-hopping tourist cruise. The multi-level "family party boat," equipped with a children's soft play area and an upper-deck open bar, was a popular staple for international vacationers, including a substantial number of British tourists and at least 20 children.
The voyage took a critical turn in the crystal-clear waters of Akvaryum Bay, near Paradise Island, when the ship suffered a major mechanical failure. Passengers reported hearing an engine malfunction, which was immediately followed by a potential fire and a sudden influx of water into the hull. Within minutes, the massive wooden galleon began listing heavily to one side.
As the vessel began visibly going under, dramatic footage captured by eyewitnesses and shared widely across social media networks highlighted the urgency of the situation. Passengers could be seen desperately clinging to the rigging and the high wooden sides of the listing ship, while others donned life jackets and plunged directly into the Mediterranean Sea.
"I'm just so glad to be off it and alive," one British passenger recounted to media outlets shortly after being pulled from the water.
"Before we knew it, the ship was tipping, and people were screaming. It was pure chaos, but the response from nearby boats was incredibly fast."
Following an urgent distress call, emergency response teams from the Muğla Governorship were instantly dispatched to the coordinates. In a heartwarming display of maritime solidarity, a small armada of commercial vessels, private yachts, and local tour boats operating in the vicinity rushed to the scene to assist.
The coordinated flotilla managed to pull all 148 passengers and crew from the water and the sinking deck before the Big Boss Diamond was claimed by the sea. It took less than an hour from the initial breach for the entire ship to become fully submerged.
Official checks conducted by medical teams on shore confirmed no casualties, severe injuries, or health complications among the evacuees. By Friday evening, only the very tops of the pirate ship's masts and rigging remained protruding above the water's surface as a grim reminder of the afternoon's near-tragedy.
The Muğla Governorship released a formal statement praising the swift, joint evacuation efforts of the state emergency services and the local boating community, confirming that everyone had been safely accounted for.
While a formal investigation is underway to determine the exact technical cause of the sinking, the boat's operators issued a public message thanking the community for their concern and announced that local tourist trips would resume shortly utilizing their sister vessel, the Big Boss Yagna.
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