Sinking feeling: $1 million yacht goes down in minutes, owner swims back to shore

In a shocking incident, the luxury yacht "Dolce Vento" sank off the coast of Zonguldak, Turkey, just 15 minutes into its maiden voyage. The 85-foot vessel, valued at around $940,000, was on its first trip after being delivered to its owner from Istanbul. A dramatic video captured the moment the yacht tipped over and gradually disappeared beneath the surface.

The yacht's owner, captain and two crew members were on board when the accident occurred. They jumped into the sea and swam safely to shore. The Coast Guard and port teams responded swiftly, establishing a security cordon around the sinking site.

🚨MADE IN TURKEY

A luxury yacht sank just 15 minutes after its maiden launch.

Turkey is launching a fighter jet too, they call it KAAN, claiming it to be better than the F-35 pic.twitter.com/3nmqRDRMpb

— Harry Theocharous (@TheocharousH) September 3, 2025

The exact cause of the sinking is still unknown, but experts speculate it might be due to an excessive top weight, resulting in low metacentric height.

The video of the sinking yacht has gone viral, with many people joking about the incident.

A user wrote, "It comes with a submarine mode too?," another commented, "Seems like a really expensive way to test life jackets."

A third posted, "If a yacht that size only cost $1M, then that explains why it sunk."