A luxury yacht that partially sank near Star Island over the weekend had twice the number of people on board than it was built to hold, according to officials, prompting an investigation that could result in civil or criminal penalties for the vessel’s owner.
Overcapacity raises safety and legal concerns
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) confirmed the vessel is a Tecnomar Lamborghini 63 – a 65-foot yacht reportedly worth $4 million.
According to the Lamborghini Miami dealership website, the boat’s maximum capacity is 16 people. However, authorities said 32 people were rescued when the yacht began to sink on Saturday.
“There are certainly safety guidelines in place regarding the amount of people you can safely have on your vessel,” said Petty Officer Nicholas Strasburg of the U.S. Coast Guard.
Strasburg said the boat did have enough life vests for everyone on board, but the excess number of passengers may have contributed to the incident.
Coast Guard: Owner could face penalties
FWC is the lead agency investigating the cause of the sinking. The Coast Guard said the investigation will determine whether the vessel was operated safely and in compliance with maritime regulations.
“If there is a deficiency in the safety and operation of the vessel, there is the certainty a potential of civil or even criminal penalties,” Strasburg said.
CBS News Miami approached two men working on the yacht in a shipyard, but they said the owner was not available. They added that the owner may have more information at a later time.
Strasburg said the partially sunken vessel posed a hazard to navigation and needed to be removed from the channel.
“The vessel partially sank. We were able to get air floatation devices around it and tow it out of the channel so it could be removed,” he said.
Good Samaritans helped rescue passengers
The Coast Guard credited good Samaritans for helping in the rescue effort. Captain Yasmany Linares said he was on the water at the time and helped take 23 people back to shore on his own boat.
“If that boat flip, all these people can be trapped under the boat and that’s a different story,” Linares said.
FWC said it is preparing a preliminary report on the incident, which is expected to be released soon.
