The owner of the exclusive Lamborghini yacht, valued at around 4 million dollars, could face civil or criminal penalties following the partial sinking of the vessel on Sunday, May 4, in Miami Beach, according to state authorities.
The incident occurred near Star Island, when the luxury yacht, a 65-foot Tecnomar Lamborghini 63, began to sink with 32 people on board, twice its allowed capacity.
The situation raised alarms at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), which has already launched an investigation to determine the causes of the incident.
According to the technical specifications of the model published by Lamborghini Miami, the yacht is designed to safely transport up to 16 people. However, during the incident the presence of more than 30 influencers was confirmed, many of whom were sharing images and videos on social media before the shipwreck, turning the event into an international trending topic.
Petty Officer Nicholas Strasburg of the United States Coast Guard indicated that while the vessel had the necessary life jackets, the overcrowding of passengers may have significantly contributed to the accident.
“Undoubtedly, there are safety regulations regarding the number of people that can safely be accommodated on a vessel,” stated Strasburg, according to CBS News.
The FWC is leading the investigation, although the Coast Guard is also involved in the inquiries. Authorities do not rule out the possibility that the yacht's owner could face fines, civil penalties, or even criminal charges if serious operational failures of the vessel are confirmed.
CBS Miami tried to contact the owner, who was not available. Two workers from the shipyard where the yacht is being maintained indicated that they could provide more details in the coming days.
After the partial sinking, the vessel was towed out of the channel, having been surrounded with floats to prevent it from interfering with other shipping routes.
The captain Yasmany Linares, a civilian who was nearby, helped rescue 23 people with his own boat. “If that boat capsizes, all those people could get trapped underneath, and that would be a whole different story,” he warned.
While awaiting the preliminary report from the FWC on the incident, the case has reignited the debate over safety on luxury yachts rented for large events, especially when combined with unsupervised promotion on social media.
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