The
40-metre motor yacht Pari went hard aground on the rocks off
Saint-Jean-Cap Ferrat around 4:30a.m. on Saturday morning, May 30.
Strong wind from the east caused the yacht to drag anchor, according
to local news reports
Eight people – six crew and the two owners – reportedly were on
board Pari during the incident.
First responders, including
gendarmes from Beaulieu, Saint-Jean police and firefighters,
evacuated the owners and crew. Three of the crew reportedly were
taken to a local hospital, but luckily, it appears no one was
seriously hurt. The captain of Pari remained on board to help with
rescue operations.
Of immediate concern was the yacht’s load of diesel fuel, which
reportedly is leaking from one tank due to damage caused by her
grounding. “At 7 a.m., the odor could be smelled as far as Nice!”
exclaimed writer Guillaume Bertolino in his article on Varmatin.com
dated May 31.
A team from the SDIS (Service Départemental d’Incendie et de
Secours) was dispatched to assess the threat of pollution but they
pronounced it minimal. The tugboat Abeille Flandres arrived from
Toulon, but according to Bertolino, but the hull damage was too
extensive for towing. The salvage operation is planned for the
coming days and, says Bertolino, everyone’s crossing their fingers
for calm weather until then.
Built by Alucraft in Turkey to a design by Vincenzo Ruggiero, the
blue-hulled motor yacht Pari was launched in 1989. |
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