After a luxury superyacht caught fire and sank in a renowned tourist spot in Australia, thousands of litres of diesel fuel poured into the ocean.
The 25-metre Sunseeker 82 Yacht, thought to be titled ‘Time Out,’ was docked at Hamilton Island in the Great Barrier Reef when a fire broke out on board.
Monday at 10:40 a.m., firefighters were dispatched to Marine Terrace marina, where they spent almost seven hours putting out the blaze.
Just before 8 p.m., the stern of the vessel sank, releasing more than 6,000 liters of diesel fuel into the pristine lake.
After the fire, debris, ash, and oil were observed floating in the marina’s waters, and it was feared that the pollution could have devastating effects on marine life and nearby islands.
Witnesses who were vacationing on the island reported that large plumes of smoke emanated from the yacht for at least ten hours, during which time fire crews established a station in front of the island’s lone grocery.
She told Daily Mail Australia that massive fans were placed to cool down the firefighters as they battled to extinguish the inferno on a 30C day in the steamy tropical island.
In a Tuesday Facebook post, the skipper of the Emergency Services VMR Whitsundays, Mal Priday, stated that VMR1 had to be relocated multiple times to escape the thick, pungent smoke.
Mr. Priday writes, “On the trip through, we could still see smoke from the center of the Whitsunday Passage, more than six hours after it began.”
We were permitted to disembark the firefighters and their equipment as close as we dared to the flaming ship.
Some surrounding vessels had smoke and heat damage, but fortunately no more vessels suffered the same fate.
‘VMR1 had to be moved a few times to escape the heavy, pungent smoke that was swirling around, with flames reaching heights of 5 meters…’
Mr. Priday reported that firefighters chose to let the fire burn itself out despite the fact that visible flames were still visible on the bow of the boat because it was hard to reach them.
The Queensland Ambulance Service said that some individuals who went to the marina to observe the fire suffered from smoke inhalation.
Sunseeker, a British luxury superyacht manufacturer, delivered “Time Out” in 2003.
Longtime Sunseeker partner Don Shead Yacht Design approved the yacht’s exterior design, which was part of the Sunseeker 82 line.
The luxury vessel accommodated eight guests in four staterooms and three crew members in two cabins. It was propelled by twin engines that allowed it to reach a maximum speed of 32 knots.
In the year of its release, the model sold for up to $7.5 million, with pre-owned boats fetching between $2.1 million and $3.95 million in 2022.
The luxury yacht was empty when the fire broke out, and no injuries have been reported.
The fire was contained to the megayacht, but smoke and heat caused damage to nearby vessels.
Ongoing investigation into the origin of the fire.
Off the coast of Queensland, near Airlie Beach, Hamilton Island is a luxury vacation destination.
The distance between the island and the Great Barrier Reef is 265 kilometers, or roughly two hours by catamaran.