Princess Diana and her then-boyfriend, Dodi Fayed, frequented this very boat for leisurely escapes. Picture: INSTAGRAM
The yacht once cherished by Princess Diana during her final summer vacation before her tragic passing has met an unfortunate fate. The vessel, known as Cujo, has sunk off the coast of France.
Back in the summer of 1997, Princess Diana and her then-boyfriend, Dodi Fayed, frequented this very boat for leisurely escapes. Tragically, both of them lost their lives in a car accident towards the end of that August.
Fortunately, all seven individuals including its Italian owner aboard the yacht, were successfully rescued before it descended beneath the waves of the Mediterranean Sea on Saturday, July 29. No injuries were reported.
An official stated that the sinking resulted from a leak, possibly stemming from a collision with an unidentified object along the French Riviera, according to “The Independent”.
The incident was posted on Facebook by Gendarmerie des Alpes-Maritimes.
“On Saturday, July 29, 2023 at 12:30, the crew of the Antibes Nautibes Nautical Brigade is engaged following a distress call on the VHF network, on a yacht in trouble 35 kilometers off the coast of Beaulieu/Mer.
“Serious and urgent situation with an important waterway at the engine level. This 19-foot boat has 7 people on board.
“After 45 minutes of navigation, the BNC arrives at the site where a sailboat derailed by the CROSSMED is already present,“ the caption reads.
Back in the day, the multi-millionaire film producer had spent £1million (R24 million) refitting the boat to impress Diana, which explains why they spent so much time on it.
For those who continue to hold Princess Diana in high regard, this event serves as another chapter in her story, intertwining with the memories of her life.