The yacht Atina caught fire off the eastern coast of Sardinia on August 10. Although no one aboard appears to have suffered injury, the flames spread across her full structure, resulting in her sinking.
According to local media, including the newspaper L’Unione Sarda, fire crews were able to respond quickly. The yacht Atina, a 154-footer (47-meter), was relatively close to the Lido del Sole beach in Olbia. The Coast Guard, a harbor tug, and the local fire brigade all were among those attempting to extinguish the flames. Eyewitness video footage on social media shows flames and black smoke emerging from her transom. Some media have reported that the fire started in the engine room, but so far officials have not confirmed this.
The fire had already spread quickly, to the yacht’s upper decks, when the firefighting boats and crews arrived. Despite the severity of the fire, though, all aboard were able to escape via the yacht’s tender. L’Unione Sarda states that some guests were ashore when the incident occurred, having gone to dinner.
Fire crews remained on site well after dark continuing to pour water on the structure. Atina sank in relatively shallow waters, about 16 to 26 feet (5 to 8 meters) deep.
The Coast Guard rimmed the yacht with anti-pollution barriers as a precaution to prevent any spills from spreading. In the meantime, the investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing.
The fire that consumed the yacht Atina, a 2008 delivery from Heesen, is the latest in several yacht fires so far this year. Less than a week ago, in fact, a severe fire in Piraeus, Greece, destroyed two superyachts. A tourist boat in the Zea Marina erupted in flames, which spread to O’Riana and Libra Y. O’Riana was 108 feet (33 meters) and from Golden Yachts, while Libra Y was 139 feet (42.5 meters) and from Picchiotti. O’Riana just saw delivery, too, several months ago and was for sale.
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