A luxury yacht reportedly owned by a prominent poker player sank in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of the Spanish island of Formentera.
Anchored in Cavall d’en Borràs in front of popular restaurant El Tiburon, the Irmao yacht burst into flames Saturday evening and prompted an evacuation of the vessel, according to The Times.
Professional poker player Diego Gomez Gonzalez’s 88-foot yacht caught on fire in the Mediterranean Sea, but everyone on board is reportedly safe.https://t.co/xzN0twhxNI pic.twitter.com/PNreSk8RQB
— PokerNews (@PokerNews) August 14, 2023
Poker player Diego Gómez González allegedly chartered the boat. González is also known as “The Lion” because he once wore a lion costume while playing a tournament in Prague, The Times reported. (RELATED: Red Sea Tour Boat Fire Leaves Three UK Divers Dead)
All 17 of the ship’s occupants, including five crew members and 12 passengers, were evacuated safely, according to the outlet.
The fire, which allegedly began in the ship’s stern, grew to engulf the entire vessel, photos show. The yacht eventually burst into flames, sending columns of smoke and flames into the sky. The billows of smoke could be seen as far as Ibiza, 12 miles to the north, according to The Times.
Rescue crews tugged the vessel further away from shore, where it reportedly sank at roughly 9 p.m.
It will be González’ responsibility as the alleged owner to refloat the boat and move it to a port where it will be assessed for restoration, The Times reported, citing the Periodico de Ibiza news outlet.
Investigators are still looking into the cause of the fire. It remains unclear whether González was onboard at the time of the fire, according to The Times.