yacht cujo sinks

• Breaking News
• University Guide
• Meghan Markle
• Prince Harry
• King Charles III

Cujo yacht sinks: Infamous 80-foot boat used by Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed in final holiday before their deaths goes down after 'hitting object' in the French Riviera

• Luxury vessel has plunged 8,200ft to the bottom of the Mediterranean
• Cujo sank some 18 miles off Beaulieu-sur-Mer, near Nice, on Saturday
• It was once owned by Prince Diana's millionaire boyfriend, Dodi Fayed

By Peter Allen and Perkin Amalaraj

Published: 05:30 EDT, 3 August 2023 | Updated: 10:16 EDT, 3 August 2023

View comments

The luxury motor-yacht enjoyed by Princess Diana and her boyfriend Dodi Fayed on their final summer holiday in the South of France days before their deaths in August 1997 has sunk to the bottom of the sea. 

Cujo, once a favourite of Hollywood superstars, disappeared below the waves of the Mediterranean after hitting an unidentified object some 18 miles off Beaulieu-sur-Mer, on the French Riviera, on Saturday.

Seven people on board were rescued following the accident, but the boat ended up at a depth of almost 8,200ft (2,500m), local police said.

'The skipper of the Cujo issued a Mayday,' said one officer. 'His ship was sinking due to a leak.

'Rescue boats were sent from Antibes and, after making sure everyone was safe, gendarmes detected a significant water leak at the level of the starboard front hull.

'Her owner had activated the pumps and kept the engines running, but this didn't stop the boat sinking.'

Salvage launches also arrived, but could not save the boat.

Cujo, a yacht once owned by Princess Diana's millionaire boyfriend Dodi Fayed, is seen sinking off Beaulieu-sur-Mer near Nice

Princess Diana on Cujo's deck as it comes into port in St Tropez in August 1997

The Princess on Cujo, where she spent her final summer holiday before she was killed in a car crash in Paris

Diana with Dodi Fayed during their holiday in the Mediterranean off the South of France

The boat disappears below the waves before coming to rest 8.200ft below the surface

Millionaire Dodi Fayed reportedly spent £1million to refit the boat after he bought it

Cujo disappeared below the waves of the Mediterranean on Saturday after hitting an unidentified object some 18 miles off Beaulieu-sur-Mer on the French Riviera

All those on board, including Cujo's Italian owner, were placed in a rescue boat, and taken back to shore without injury.

Reports about Cujo – an Indian word that means 'Unstoppable Force' – dominated the media in August 1997, when it was owned by Diana's boyfriend, Dodi Fayed.

The multi-millionaire film producer had spent some £1million refitting the boat, and wooed Diana on board as the world's media looked on.

Just days later the couple were killed in a car crash in central Paris caused by their drunk driver.

That summer, Diana was also photographed on Sokar, the yacht then owned by Dodi's father, retail billionaire Mohamed al-Fayed, which was previously named Jonikal.

The pair were seen kissing and embracing on the deck less than a year after Diana and Prince Charles agreed their divorce. 

Diana, Princess of Wales, right, and her companion Dodi Fayed, walk on a pontoon in the French Riviera resort of St Tropez having just disembarked from Cujo on August 22, 1997

Princess Diana on Jonikal, which was owned by Dodi's father, Mohamed al-Fayed

The Princess on board Jonikal, which was later renamed Sokar

Diana, then 36, was spotted strutting on the deck, making the most of the Mediterranean sun and her new romance.

A snap of the royal gazing into the distance from the yacht's diving board was one of the last pictures ever taken of Diana.

Cujo was built in Italy in 1972 for businessman John von Neumann after he told Italy's Baglietto shipyard that he wanted the world's fastest motor yacht.

She was fitted with two 18-cylinder engines that ensured she had a top speed of 42 knots.

Van Neumann then sold the boat to the son of Adnan Khashoggi, the world's richest arms dealer, and he sold her on to his cousin, Dodi Fayed.

Dodi Fayed and Diana are seen together aboard Dodi's father's yacht in St Tropez less than a year after Diana and Prince Charles had settled their divorce

The couple being ferried in a speedboat in the waters off St Tropez in July 1997

Cujo was frequently moored off St Tropez, the most famous celebrity hotspot on the Riviera, with guests including Clint Eastwood, Tony Curtis and Bruce Willis on board.

Following the death of Princes Diana and Dodi, Cujo fell into disrepair.

It was decommissioned in 1999, and spent years in storage, before being restored by new owners.

The boat was bought for a song in 2020 by luxury vehicle dealer Simon Kidston. The Mail reported that he paid just £138,000

He claimed to have bought the yacht by accident, telling the luxury magazine Robb Report :  'On the day of the auction, I was tied up with clients so asked a colleague to go down and take a look. I told him that if it was going cheaply, put in a bid for a bit of fun.

The boat was reportedly sold in 2020 to an Italian socialite who had fallen in love with it

Luxury car dealer Simon Kidston claims to have bought it at auction for just £138,000

Simon claimed to have bought the boat for a laugh, telling the Robb Report he bid 'for a bit of fun'

'The bidding opened at just 150,000 euros [£129,500].  My colleague bid 160,000 euros.

'Trouble was, no one else bid. The hammer went down and I had bought a boat. The feeling was a mix of excitement tinged with terror.'

He told the magazine that he sold the historic boat to a young Italian socialist in time for his birthday.

'A young member of a prominent Italian business family - he's 30 years old - had seen Cujo, fallen in love with her and asked if she was for sale. He took delivery just in time for his birthday.'

Share or comment on this article: Cujo yacht sinks: Infamous boat used by Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed in final holiday goes down

Comments 1135

Share what you think

• Worst rated

The comments below have not been moderated.

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

We are no longer accepting comments on this article.

Femail Today

• Follow DailyMail
• Subscribe Daily Mail
• Follow @dailymail
• Follow MailOnline
• Follow Daily Mail

From the Makers of Candy Crush

• Back to top

Published by Associated Newspapers Ltd

Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group

Princess Diana & Dodi Al-Fayed's Love Yacht 'Cujo' Meets Grim Fate Nearly 26 Years After Their Deaths

Princess Diana's relationship with Dodi Al-Fayed has always been met with a great deal of interest and curiosity from royal watchers around the globe. After  Diana's divorce from then-Prince Charles , she and Al-Fayed began dating in 1997, the year they both tragically died. 

Diana and Al-Fayed would spend the summer months together, vacationing in the South of France just days before a car crash in Paris would claim their lives. According to the Daily Mail , the couple spent time on Dodi's luxury yacht named "Cujo." The boat ended up being a playground for the lovers, who were often photographed by paparazzi as they continued getting to know one another. 

Flash forward to 2023, and Cujo is no more. The yacht sunk to the bottom of the ocean on the French Riviera after hitting an object,  The Times of London reports. The incident was considered an emergency and a rescue for the seven people onboard ensued.

All 7 people on 'Cujo' were rescued

On July 29, a call was made by the boat's skipper about Cujo taking on water, local police said (via the Daily Mail). Thankfully, all seven people on board were rescued safely and were not harmed, despite the scary situation. Now, reports indicate that the boat is almost 8,000 feet below the surface of the ocean, resting in the Mediterranean Sea just about 18 miles off the coast of Nice, France. 

The yacht was built in Italy in 1972. Over the years, many celebrity guests, such as Clint Eastwood and Bruce Willis, have spent time on Cujo on the French Riviera.

And if you're wondering how Dodi Al-Fayed may have been able to afford such a pricey toy, his father Mohamed Al-Fayed is a billionaire who once owned Harrods Department Store. Dodi also worked as an executive producer on a number of movies during his time. He and Princess Diana both loved being on the ocean and spent much time onboard Cujo and Al-Fayed's father's yacht, "Jonikal." Now, however, one of the only remaining pieces of their love story has been lost to the depths. 

News | World

World famous yacht that Princess Diana had final summer holiday on sinks

The world-famous celebrity yacht enjoyed by Princess Diana on her final summer holiday in the south of France has sunk to the bottom of the sea.

Cujo, once also a favourite of Hollywood superstars, disappeared below the Mediterranean waves after hitting an unidentified object off Beaulieu-sur-Mer, on the French Riviera, on Saturday.

Seven people on board were rescued following the accident, but the boat ended up at a depth of almost 2500m (8200ft), said local police.

“The skipper of the Cujo issued a Mayday,” said one officer. “His ship was sinking due to a leak.

“Rescue boats were sent from Antibes, and, after making sure everyone was safe, gendarmes detected a significant water leak at the level of the starboard front hull.

“Her owner had activated the pumps and kept the engines running, but this didn’t stop the boat sinking.”

Salvage launches also arrived, but could not save the boat sinking, around 18 nautical miles off the coast.

All of those on board, including the Cujo’s Italian owner, were placed in a rescue boat, and taken back to shore without injury.

Reports about Cujo – an Indian word that means ‘Unstoppable Force’ – dominated the media in August 1997, when it was owned by Diana’s boyfriend, Dodi Al-Fayed.

The multi-millionaire film producer had spent some £1million refitting the boat, and wooed Diana onboard, as the world’s media looked on.

Harry in surprise on-screen appearance at sports awards

US authorities ‘have evidence to make arrests’ over Harry and Meghan car chase

Duke of Sussex to appeal against High Court ruling over change to UK security

Meet the fitness influencer defying stereotypes about ageing

This was shortly before the couple died in a car crash in central Paris caused by their drunk driver.

That summer, Diana was also photographed on Sokar, the yacht then owned by Al-Fayed’s father, retail billionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed.

Cujo was built in Italy in 1972 for businessman John von Neumann after he told Italy’s Baglietto shipyard that he wanted the world’s fastest motoryacht.

She was fitted with two 18-cylinder engines that ensured she had a top speed of 42 knots.

Following the death of Princes Diana and Mr Al-Fayed, Cujo fell into disrepair.

She was decommissioned in 1999, and spent years in storage, before being restored by new owners.

Find anything you save across the site in your account

Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed’s Former Yacht Sinks Off the Coast of France

By Katherine McLaughlin

Before their untimely deaths in the late summer of 1997, Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed spent a few brief paparazzi-festered weeks aboard Cujo, a 65-foot, military-style superyacht. As Robb Report described it, the boat was once the most famous in the world thanks to her high-profile passengers. Now, a little over a quarter of a century later, the infamous boat has sunk off the coast of France, reports The Independent .  

The boat sank quickly after the distress call was made. 

According to a Facebook post from the Gendarmerie des Alpes-Maritimes, a division of the French military, passengers issued a distress call around 12:30 local time on July 29. A little under an hour later, a rescue boat arrived, finding the vessel’s bow already partially submerged. “The cabins of the yacht were already flooded, and only a few suitcases located in the kitchen and on the deck could be retrieved by the gendarmes,” reads the statement. The seven passengers who were on board had already evacuated and were safely on a nearby lifeboat. Rescuers and passengers then quickly left the area, as the boat sank 2,500 feet to the ocean’s floor. The cause of the accident was not shared; however, according to Boat International , sources claimed that the ship hit an unknown object floating near the center of the hull. 

Cujo was already halfway underwater when rescuers arrived. 

The impressive yacht was originally launched in 1972, commissioned by its first owner John von Neumann. According to Robb Report, Von Neumann hired Italian shipyard Baglietto to build him a boat that was “faster than any other motoryacht on the water.” During its maiden voyage, Cujo had largely achieved this goal thanks to its twin 54-liter V-18 turbo diesel engines, which provided 2,700 horsepower and allowed it to easily hit 46 miles per hour. Von Neumann eventually sold the boat to arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi, who later passed the boat to Dodi Fayed, his nephew. 

At one point, the vessel was among the fastest in the world. 

Though Princess Diana was among the most notable guests onboard—largely fueled by vicious tabloid coverage—other high-profile passengers hosted by Fayed included Clint Eastwood, Tony Curtis, Bruce Willis, and Brooke Shields. In addition to jaunts on Cujo, the sensationalized couple also spent time on superyacht Jonikal , which most recently sold in June of 2023. Following the passing of Di and Fayed, Cujo fell into disrepair and decommissioned in 1999. After many years in storage, Fayed’s cousin Moody Al-Fayed purchased the vessel and brought it back to life. He later sold the boat to Simon Kidston, a British car collector and restorer and the last-reported owner of the vessel. 

More Great Stories From AD

The Story Behind the Many Ghost Towns of Abandoned Mansions Across China

Inside Sofía Vergara’s Personal LA Paradise

Inside Emily Blunt and John Krasinski’s Homes Through the Years

Take an Exclusive First Look at Shea McGee’s Remodel of Her Own Home

Notorious Mobsters at Home: 13 Photos of Domestic Mob Life

Shop Amy Astley’s Picks of the Season

Modular Homes: Everything You Need to Know About Going Prefab

Shop Best of Living—Must-Have Picks for the Living Room

Beautiful Pantry Inspiration We’re Bookmarking From AD PRO Directory Designers

Not a subscriber? Join AD for print and digital access now.

Browse the  AD PRO Directory to find an  AD -approved design expert for your next project.

By Michael Y. Park

By Zoey Goto

By Hannah Martin

By Charlotte Collins

• Motorcycles
• Car of the Month
• Destinations
• Men’s Fashion
• Watch Collector
• Art & Collectibles
• Vacation Homes
• Celebrity Homes
• New Construction
• Home Design
• Electronics
• Fine Dining
• Costa Palmas
• L’Atelier
• Les Marquables de Martell
• Reynolds Lake Oconee
• Scott Dunn Travel
• Wilson Audio
• 672 Wine Club
• Sports & Leisure
• Health & Wellness
• Best of the Best
• The Ultimate Gift Guide

Boat of the Week: Meet ‘Cujo,’ the 80-Foot Yacht Where Late Movie Producer Dodi Al-Fayed Once Wooed Princess Diana

The couple spent some of their final summer cruising around saint-tropez aboard this fast, military-looking yacht., howard walker, howard walker's most recent stories.

• This 112-Foot Superyacht Has an Interior That’ll Make Your Manhattan Condo Jealous
• This 1967 Shelby GT500 Has Been Reimagined to Perfection. Now It’s up for Grabs.
• One of Ferrari’s Earliest Formula 1 Cars Is Now Up for Grabs
• Share This Article

For a few brief weeks back in the summer of 1997, Cujo was the most famous boat in the world.

Not because of her intimidating military lines, or blistering 40-knot performance. It’s because Diana, Princess of Wales, hung out aboard in Saint-Tropez with the boat’s owner, and romantic partner Dodi Al-Fayed.

Countless paparazzi shots show the once future Queen of England on Cujo‘s narrow sidedecks, soaking up the Mediterranean sun. By the end of August that year, both Diana and Dodi would be dead after that fatal car wreck in Paris.

Related Stories

• Station Wagons Are Back: 13 of the World’s Fastest, Most Powerful Models
• Steve McQueen’s Old 1970 Chevy K5 Blazer Is Now up for Grabs
• 18 Surprising Facts About the McLaren P1 Hypercar

Diana, Princess of Wales and Dodi Fayed spent some of their final summer cruising around Saint-Tropez aboard Cujo .  Courtesy Patrick Bar-Nice Matin/AP Images

Yet this rakish 80-footer was a headliner long before Diana stepped on board. Her first owner was Austrian Johnny Von Neumann, an entrepreneur, playboy and passionate sports-car racer who became the largest Porsche-VW distributor in the US.

In 1972, Von Neumann commissioned the Italian shipyard Baglietto to build him a boat with one goal: It had to go fast—faster than any other motoryacht on the water. To deliver, the shipyard installed twin 54-liter V-18 turbo diesels delivering a combined 2,700 horsepower.

Flat out, Cujo —said to be an ancient Indian word meaning “unstoppable force”—could easily top 40 knots, or 46 mph. Von Neumann blasted up and down the Cote d’Azur for a few years before ordering an even faster Baglietto—this time with jet turbine power. He sold Cujo to arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi who, at the time, was reckoned to be the richest man in the world.

The fast, military exterior gives way to an almost old-fashioned cockpit with wood cabinets and leather seats.  Courtesy Simon Kidston

Khashoggi eventually passed the boat on to his nephew Dodi Al-Fayed, who immediately sent her to the CARM shipyard in Lavagna, Italy, for a full refit.

Back in Saint-Tropez, and moored in her reserved spot on the town’s main quay outside the famed Le Sénéquier restaurant, Fayed would invite many of his Hollywood friends for a cruise. During the summers, everyone from Clint Eastwood, Tony Curtis, Bruce Willis and one-time girlfriend, Brooke Shields, were seen aboard.

Following Dodi and Diana’s death, Cujo quickly fell into disrepair. Decommissioned in 1999, she was hauled out at the CARM yard and spent several years in storage.

The main salon is smaller than many contemporary 80-foot motoryachts, but few other boats its size have the same 40-knots-plus top end.  Courtesy Simon Kidston

The boat was eventually rescued by Dodi’s cousin Moody Al-Fayed, who spent over $1 million bringing her back to life. Part of the work included uprating those massive diesels to deliver 1,650 hp each.

Now fast forward to February last year. After two summers of cruising Cujo around Sardinia and Italy’s Amalfi coast, Moody decided to sell. Strangely, he entered the boat in the Retromobile classic car auction in Paris.

That’s where well-known British car collector, buyer, seller and restorer Simon Kidston appeared. Kidston had spied Cujo in the Retromobile auction catalog, read that it was being sold by his old school-friend Fayed, and decided to bid.

The 1972 Baglietto has innovative features like the amidships helm and social area, and two sunbeds on the foredeck.  Courtesy Simon Kidston

“On the day of the auction, I was tied up with clients so asked a colleague to go down and take a look. I told him that if it was going cheaply, put in a bid for a bit of fun,” Kidston tells Robb Report .

“The bidding opened at just 150,000 Euros—that’s around $165,000. My colleague bid 160,000 Euros,” says Kidston. “Trouble was, no one else bid. The hammer went down and I had bought a boat. The feeling was a mix of excitement, tinged with terror.”

Unfortunately, just as Simon took delivery of Cujo at Lavagna, where she was moored, Europe was starting to lock down with the coronavirus pandemic.

The internal helm station is outfitted with modern electronics, but in a nod to its historic past, the wheel is definitely old school.  Courtesy Simon Kidston

But he did get to take her out during a video shoot in and around Portofino  for his YouTube channel Kidston Productions, where the boat meets up with Simon’s own ’70s Lamborghini Miura supercar. Entitled A Portofino Affair, the footage of Cujo at speed is breathtaking.

“She has immense presence,” said Kidston. “No boat of its size commands that kind of attention when she comes into a harbor.” Especially an Italian harbor when nervous local boat owners think she’s with the financial police.

“As you’d expect, those engines have tons and tons of performance,” Kidston adds. “We’ve seen 41 knots. But they have a very different sound than I was expecting; instead of a roar from the exhausts, there’s this amazing whistle from the turbos.”

The diesel engines were upgraded from the original 2,700 to 3,300 horsepower.  Courtesy Simon Kidston

While Kidston and his family had planned to cruise the Med this summer, the car enthusiast received an offer he couldn’t refuse.

“A young member of a prominent Italian business family—he’s 30 years old—had seen Cujo in Lavagna, fallen in love with her and asked if she was for sale,” he says. “He took delivery last week, just in time for his birthday.”

Read More On:

• Motor Vessel

More Marine

This New 220-Foot Hybrid Megayacht Uses State-of-the-Art Heat Recovery to Save Energy

This New 62-Foot Solar-Electric Catamaran Is Topped by a Luxe Skylounge

This New 131-Foot Electric Catamaran Can Cruise the High Seas Sans Emissions

Asia Just Got a New Luxury Airliner. Here’s What It’s Like Onboard.

Culinary Masters 2024

MAY 17 - 19 Join us for extraordinary meals from the nation’s brightest culinary minds.

Give the Gift of Luxury

Latest Galleries in Marine

12 Fascinating Facts About ‘Kismet,’ the 400-Foot Megayacht With an Underwater Lounge

The 11 Best Water Toys for the High Seas, From Electric Surfboards to Personal Subs

More from our brands, soccer transfer: messi brand sold to pay bills for fashion also-ran, purdue, uconn advance as host committee seeks another final four, ‘9-1-1’ star oliver stark ‘couldn’t be prouder’ of buck’s kiss, responds to homophobic backlash: ‘you’ve missed the entire point of the show’, a $20-30 m. lucio fontana from the rachofsky collection could set auction record at sotheby’s in may, the best medicine balls, according to fitness trainers.

Yacht that Princess Diana spent last summer on with Dodi Al-Fayed sinks to bottom of Mediterranean

Cujo, which made front-page news around the world back in the summer of 1997 when Diana was entertained on board a year after her divorce from Prince Charles, went down in 2500m (8200ft) of water.

Thursday 3 August 2023 17:00, UK

A motor yacht used by Princess Diana and her boyfriend Dodi Al-Fayed on their final summer holiday in the South of France before they died in a Paris car crash has sunk.

The 19m (62ft) Cujo went down 21 miles (35km) off Beaulieu-sur-Mer after sending out a mayday call last Saturday.

The seven people on board the luxury vessel, which was taking on water, were rescued by teams from Antibes before it sank to the bottom of the Mediterranean at a depth of 2500m (8200ft).

They were safely returned to shore.

The area was monitored for pollution as the boat sank with 7,000 litres of diesel in its tanks.

Cujo made front page news around the world back in the summer of 1997 when Al-Fayed entertained Diana onboard, a year after her divorce from Prince Charles, which was finalised in August 1996.

That summer, Diana was also photographed on Sokar, the yacht then owned by al Fayed's billionaire father Mohamed.

More on France

French diver Alexis Jandard slips during Olympic inauguration performance in front of Emmanuel Macron

Emile: Clothes belonging to boy missing in French Alps since July found - days after remains discovered

Emile: Hundreds of police deployed to remote French Alps hamlet days after remains of two-year-old boy found

Related Topics:

• Princess Diana

It had previously been named Jonikal.

Cujo was built in Italy in 1972 for businessman John von Neumann who told the Italian Baglietto shipyard that he wanted the world's fastest motor yacht.

She was fitted with two 18-cylinder engines giving her a top speed of 42 knots.

Van Neumann then sold the boat to the son of Saudi businessman and arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi and he sold her on to his cousin, al Fayed.

Cujo was frequently moored off St Tropez, a famous celebrity hangout on the French Riviera, with guests including Clint Eastwood, Tony Curtis and Bruce Willis.

Following the death of Diana and Al-Fayed in central Paris on 31 August 1997, Cujo fell into disrepair.

She was decommissioned in 1999, and spent years in storage, before being restored by new owners.

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free

Related Topics

The Famous Superyacht on Which Dodi Fayed Courted Princess Diana in the Summer of 1997 Sinks to the Bottom of the Mediterranean Sea

If you were around that summer 26 years ago, you remember this vessel well from the hordes of photos taken of it with the Princess of Wales aboard.

Last August 31 was the 25-year anniversary of the deaths of Princess Diana , Dodi Fayed, and Henri Paul, who passed away as a result of a Parisian car accident in the early morning hours of that day in 1997. (Diana’s bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones was severely injured but survived the crash.) The summer of 1997 will come to the forefront once more in the forthcoming season six of Netflix’s The Crown , due to debut later this year, and we will no doubt see scenes of Diana and Dodi from their final summer together aboard the superyacht Cujo—a vessel that has made headlines this week.

The Cujo sinking on July 29, 2023

In an unexpected twist to the story, 26 years after Diana and Dodi enjoyed its comforts, Cujo sunk to the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea on July 29, with seven passengers aboard. (All seven are safe and unharmed, thankfully.) People reports that the yacht—of which thousands upon thousands of paparazzi photos were taken in the summer of 1997, as the press tried to figure out the relationship between Diana and Dodi—was “sinking due to a leak” after it allegedly hit an unidentified object on the French Riviera, according to an officer. “The skipper of the Cujo issued a Mayday,” an officer said, per The Independent . “Rescue boats were sent from Antibes and, after making sure everyone was safe, gendarmes detected a significant water leak at the level of the starboard front hull. Her owner had activated the pumps and kept the engines running, but this didn’t stop the boat sinking.”

Gendarmerie des Alpes-Maritimes, a branch of the French military, released a statement addressing the incident on its Facebook page, where it was disclosed that the Antibes Nautical Brigade first responded to a distress call at 12:30 p.m. local time for a yacht located 35 kilometers off the coast of Beaulieu-sur-Mer, France, People reports. “When they arrived at the scene 45 minutes later, the ship was already sinking, and the cabins had begun to flood,” the outlet writes. “The seven passengers were already transferred to a life raft and examined for injuries before being taken back to shore.”

Princess Diana that final summer aboard Fayed's boat

After first meeting at a polo match in 1986—in which Dodi was playing against Diana’s then-husband, Prince Charles —Diana and Dodi reconnected romantically over a decade later after Dodi’s father, Mohamed al Fayed, invited the princess and her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry , to vacation at their villa in St. Tropez, France. Diana and Dodi developed a connection aboard the 20-meter superyacht, as the world watched and wondered through paparazzi photos taken of them at the time. Dodi himself owned the Cujo and had spent around £1 million refitting the boat “and wooed Diana on board, as the world’s media looked on,” The Independent reports.

Princess Diana and Prince Harry on the Fayed boat

Princess Diana waves at bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones, who would be the sole survivor in the crash that took her life not long after this photo was taken

We’ll never know what would have come from the seemingly budding romance, as the two were killed riding side by side together through a tunnel in Paris—Dodi instantly in the tunnel, and Diana later at the hospital. The car in which they were riding was traveling at 121 mph in order to escape the aforementioned paparazzi chasing them on motorcycles—trailing them this time on land rather than, as they had all summer, at sea. The chase, plus driver Paul’s intoxication, led to the triple fatal crash and the end to any happiness Diana and Dodi might have shared together—the beginnings of which are now resting at the bottom of the Mediterranean.

Cujo—frequently moored off St. Tropez—saw other celebrity guests including Clint Eastwood and Bruce Willis. After Dodi’s death, Cujo fell into disrepair and was decommissioned two years later in 1999. It spent years in storage before being restored by new owners.

Stay In The Know

Marie Claire email subscribers get intel on fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more. Sign up here.

Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of  Podcast Royal , a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts  I’d Rather Be Reading , which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more. 

"Just thrifting in Vegas."

By Danielle Campoamor Published 7 April 24

The Duke of York is apparently unfazed.

"No one had any idea."

“I wouldn’t change a thing on the dress in 1981, but if I was looking at it through my eyes now, there’s so many possibilities.”

By Rachel Burchfield Published 4 April 24

He also weighed in on whether the media frenzy was worse in the 1990s with Diana or in the present day with Kate.

By Rachel Burchfield Published 18 March 24

Their separate appearances at the Diana Awards were carefully timed so that William, onsite in London, had zero opportunity to interact with Harry, calling in from California.

By Rachel Burchfield Published 15 March 24

The story of the Lady Dior bag is one worth knowing.

By Rachel Burchfield Published 24 February 24

In the leadup to Charles and Diana’s 1981 wedding, the Queen had some reservations.

By Rachel Burchfield Published 9 February 24

“As far as Diana was concerned, the royal wedding was off.”

He yearned to properly safeguard her, and this desire colored his future career aspirations.

By Rachel Burchfield Published 21 December 23

The look is a tangible timestamp of mid-1980s fashion, shoulder pads and all.

By Rachel Burchfield Published 19 December 23

• Contact Future's experts
• Advertise Online
• Terms and conditions
• Privacy policy
• Cookies policy

Marie Claire is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site . © Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

• Search Please fill out this field.
• Manage Your Subscription
• Give a Gift Subscription
• Newsletters
• Sweepstakes

Princess Diana’s Former Yacht That She Vacationed on with Boyfriend Dodi Fayed Sinks in France

All seven passengers were rescued after the superyacht, dubbed Cujo, sank beneath the Mediterranean Sea on July 29

Natalia Senanayake is an Editorial Assistant, Lifestyle at PEOPLE. She covers all things travel and home, from celebrities' luxury mansions to breaking travel news.

Best Image/BACKGRID; Gendarmerie des Alpes-Maritimes

Princess Diana ’s former yacht that she enjoyed her last summer vacation on before her death has sunk off the coast of France, according to The Independent . 

The boat, dubbed Cujo , was frequented by the late princess and her boyfriend at the time, Dodi Fayed , in the summer of 1997 before they both died in a car crash in late August that year. 

All seven passengers on board were rescued in time before the vessel sank below the Mediterranean Sea on Saturday, July 29. An officer said that the “ship was sinking due to a leak” after it allegedly hit an unidentified object on the French Riviera, The Independent reports. 

Gendarmerie des Alpes-Maritimes

Gendarmerie des Alpes-Maritimes, a branch of the French military, released a statement addressing the incident on their official Facebook page . They state the Antibes Nautical Brigade first responded to a distress call at 12:30 p.m. local time for a yacht located 35 kilometers off the coast of Beaulieu-sur-Mer, France. 

When they arrived at the scene 45 minutes later, the ship was already sinking and the cabins had begun to flood. The seven passengers were already transferred to a life raft and examined for injuries before being taken back to shore. 

Princess Diana and Fayed enjoyed spending time together aboard the 20-meter superyacht that first launched in 1972, especially around the Italian Riviera, according to Boat International . 

The pair first met at a polo match in 1986 in which Fayed was playing against Diana’s then-husband, Prince Charles . Diana and Fayed didn’t connect romantically until nearly 10 years later when Fayed’s father, Mohamed al Fayed, invited her and her two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry , to vacation at their villa in St. Tropez, France.  

Before Diana’s romance with the film producer began to develop, the Prince and Princess of Wales had finalized their divorce in August 1996. Diana announced that she agreed to her husband's request for divorce earlier that year in February. 

A representative of the princess released a statement at the time: "The Princess of Wales has agreed to Prince Charles's request for a divorce. The Princess will continue to be involved in all decisions relating to the children and will remain at Kensington Palace with offices in St. James's Palace . The Princess of Wales will retain the title and be known as Diana, Princess of Wales."

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Diana died at the age of 36 after going into cardiac arrest from internal injuries she sustained during a high-speed car crash in Paris, France . Dodi and the car’s driver, Henri Paul, were killed instantly in the fatal accident. 

Reports indicate the car was traveling at 121 mph in a narrow tunnel along the Seine River in an effort to escape paparazzi tailing them on motorcycles. It was also reported that Paul was legally drunk when the crash occurred.

Related Articles

To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories .

• What Is Cinema?
• Newsletters

Party Yacht Where Princess Diana Spent Her Final Vacation Sinks in France

By Kase Wickman

One more artifact from the late Princess Diana’s life is no more: The Cujo , the superyacht where she and boyfriend Dodi Fayed spent many sunny days, including their final summer vacation before they both died in a car crash in August 1997, has sunk in the French Riviera, according to French authorities .

Seven passengers were rescued from the boat on the afternoon of July 29 after it struck an unidentified object off Beaulieu-sur-Mer and struck a leak that would prove to be the end of its voyages. By the time the Antibes Nautical Brigade, part of the French military’s Gendarmerie des Alpes-Maritimes, responded to the distress call about 45 minutes later, all seven passengers had been evacuated to a life raft and the ship had started sinking.

The yacht was 20 meters long, and originally launched in 1972. According to BOAT International , Austrian Jon von Neumann, who introduced the Porsche brand to the United States, originally commissioned the boat and asked that it be built to break speed records.

After Neumann, the Cujo was owned by the family of Saudi arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi , before coming into Fayed’s care, according to the New York Post . In addition to Diana, Fayed hosted celebrities like Brooke Shields, Bruce Willis , and Clint Eastwood on the yacht in the late ‘90s. According to the Robb Report, later owner Simon Kidston sold the boat to “a young member of a prominent Italian business family” in 2021.

Paparazzi swarmed Diana and Fayed’s summer 1997 adventures onboard the Cujo and the Jonikal , another yacht on which the couple spent time sailing in St. Tropez, including just days before their death. They were hot gossip, with Diana having finalized her divorce from then-prince Charles less than a year before. At the tail end of season five of The Crown on Netflix, Diana is invited to vacation asea with Fayed with her children, Prince Harry and Prince William , a trip that did happen in real life.

Harry recounted the July 1997 jaunt in his memoir, Spare . “Everything about that trip to St. Tropez was heaven,” he wrote. 

More Great Stories From Vanity Fair

Anne Hathaway on Tuning Out the Haters and Embracing Her True Self

Author Patricia Highsmith Was Almost as Twisted as Her Character Tom Ripley

Inside Trump’s Terrifyingly Competent 2024 Campaign

The Confessions of an Art Fraudster Extraordinaire

The Best TV Shows of 2024, So Far

The Billionaire-Backed City No One Asked For

From the Archive: Jeffrey Dahmer’s Inferno (1991)

Stay in the know and subscribe to Vanity Fair for just $2.50 $1 per month.

By Lawrence Grobel

By Eve Batey

Kase Wickman

Contributing editor.

By Erin Vanderhoof

By Julie Miller

Once a Favorite of Princess Diana, Cujo Sinks

For 50 years it hosted some of the world’s most famous people – including, famously, Princess Diana. Now the Cujo sits at the bottom of the Med.

A famous party yacht that was once the scene of Princess Diana’s final summer vacation has sunk in the French Mediterranean.

According to multiple media reports, the Cujo sank after hitting an unidentified object off Beaulieu-sur-Mer, on the French Riviera, on Saturday. All seven people on board were rescued.

In its half century on the water, the Cujo saw plenty of glamour and mega-celebrity guests – but the spotlight was never more brightly on it than when Princess Diana and her boyfriend Dodi Al-Fayed, then the yacht’s owner, vacationed on the yacht in the summer of 1997, just weeks before their August deaths in a Paris car accident. Diana had finalized her divorce with the future King Charles a year earlier, and paparazzi were everywhere.

Launched in 1972, the Cujo had several owners including the family of Saudi arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi, according to Vanity Fair. According to the Robb Report, its original owner was Johnny Von Neumann, an Austrian entrepreneur and car racer who commissioned Italian shipyard Baglietto to build him something that could break speed records. Baglietto built the Cujo with twin 54-liter V-18 turbo diesel engines that delivered a combined 2,700 horsepower.

That horsepower means little now – the Cujo now sits at a depth of nearly 2500m about 18 nautical miles off the coast.

Related Posts

The 76-foot (23m) Nordhavn M/Y Kahu caught fire while at East Cowes Marina on the Isle of Wight on Nov. 6. Firefighters battled the blaze…

Tagged Cujo , Mediterranean , Princess Diana , sunk

How did Cujo sink? Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed's luxury love yacht plunges 8,200 feet into the Mediterranean

FRENCH RIVIERA, FRANCE: The luxurious yacht Princess Diana and her alleged partner Dodi Al-Fayed were seen together on during their final summer sank to the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea on Saturday. Cujo, also known as the "love boat" of Diana and Dodi, has sunk after hitting an unidentified object. Following the disaster, seven of the passengers were saved, but the boat sank to a depth of about 8,200 feet (2,500 meters), per local authorities. According to Daily Mail , the event took place off the southern French coast of Beaulieu-sur-Mer on July 29.

Aside from Princess Diana, Cujo has encountered many other famous people in its 50-year history. Dodi Fayed, a film producer and the son of business magnate Mohammed Fayed, utilized it often to host events. Actors including Tony Curtis, Clint Eastwood, Brooke Shields, and Bruce Willis were among those who joined Dodi on the boat. Diana and Dodi were first spotted together in St Tropez in the summer of 1997, which led to suspicions that they were dating.

How did Cujo sink?

The place where Princess Diana took one of her last shots, Cujo, has now perished, more than 20 years after her tragic death. The owner of Cujo is an Italian who lives on the Riviera. After colliding with an unknown object around 18 miles off the French Riviera town of Beaulieu-sur-Mer, Cujo disappeared beneath the Mediterranean's waves.

According to the Daily Mail, local police claimed that "the skipper of the Cujo issued a mayday. His ship was sinking due to a leak. Rescue boats were sent from Antibes and, after making sure everyone was safe, gendarmes detected a significant water leak at the level of the starboard front hull. Her owner had activated the pumps and kept the engines running, but this didn’t stop the boat sinking."

Cujo's history

According to The Independent, the ancient word "Cujo" means "unstoppable force." Cujo was built in Italy in 1972 for entrepreneur John von Neumann, who told Italy's Baglietto shipyard that he wished for the world's fastest motor yacht. Cujo had two 18-cylinder engines installed, allowing her to reach a top speed of 42 knots. Eventually, the world's richest armaments dealer Adnan Khashoggi's son purchased the boat from Neumann after which he sold it to Dodi Fayed, his cousin.

Diana and her producer boyfriend Dodi were photographed on board Cujo in 1997, merely a few weeks before their deadly car accident in Paris on August 31, making Cujo infamous. The couple's first photographs together taken on the opulent boat sparked a tabloid hysteria that eventually led to the princess' death. Cujo deteriorated after the deaths of Princes Diana and Dodi and was purchased by its current owner for $250,000 at auction in 2020. According to French accounts, Cujo had ongoing maintenance issues and was not in excellent shape when it sank, as per New York Post.

Yacht where Princess Diana spent last vacation…

Share this:.

• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on X (Opens in new window)

Daily News e-Edition

Evening e-Edition

• E-Newspaper
• National News
• Puzzles & Games
• Transportation

Yacht where Princess Diana spent last vacation sunk in French Riviera

Gendarmerie des Alpes-Maritimes

Yacht that once belonged to Princess Diana sank in the Mediterranean Sea on July 29, 2023, authorities said.

Patrick Bar/AP

Diana, Princess of Wales, right, and her companion Dodi Fayed, walk on a pontoon in the French Riviera resort of St. Tropez, Aug. 22, 1997.

Seven people were rescued uninjured after the celebrity-favorite yacht previously owned by Princess Diana’s boyfriend, Dodi Al-Fayed , and occupied by the couple shortly before their August 1997 deaths sunk this weekend in the French Riviera.

Cujo, which now rests about 2500 meters beneath the surface, sunk about 18 nautical miles off the coast Saturday due to “a significant water leak,” an officer told The Independent.

The leak followed the vessel’s collision that day with an unidentified object off Beaulieu-sur-Mer, The Independent reports.

“The skipper of the Cujo issued a Mayday,” said the officer, noting the leak was found after those aboard, including the ship’s owner, were rescued and deemed safe.

The leak was found “at the level of the starboard front hull,” said the officer. “Her owner had activated the pumps and kept the engines running, but this didn’t stop the boat sinking.”

Built in 1972, Al-Fayed took ownership of the vessel after it was sold to his cousin, arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi, according to the outlet. Though restored prior to the sinking, the ship was in storage for years following its 1999 decommission, and could often be found off Saint-Tropez, The Independent reports.

In 1997, the yacht was a media fixture thanks to its proximity to the people’s princess — who could also be found that summer on the Sokar yacht owned at the time by Al-Fayed’s father, Mohamed Al-Fayed. Diana and Dodi Al-Fayed died in a late August collision in Paris .

More in SNYDE

SUBSCRIBER ONLY

Richard johnson: oscar nominees cathy moriarty, john savage head cast of nyc indie ‘beyond the rush’.

SNYDE | Josh Waring, son of ‘Real Housewives’ alum Lauri Peterson, dead at 35

SNYDE | Ray J not surprised famous friends haven’t defended Diddy

SNYDE | Diddy posts old music video running from police

MORE SECTIONS

• Dear Deidre
• Visual Stories

MORE FROM THE SUN

• Newsletters
• Deliver my newspaper
• Sun Vouchers
• The Sun Digital Newspaper

Incredible 80ft superyacht Cujo used by Princess Diana in her final summer with Dodi Fayed sinks after crash in Med

• Juliana Cruz Lima
• Published : 10:37, 3 Aug 2023
• Updated : 13:36, 3 Aug 2023

THE yacht used by Princess Diana during her last summer has sunk in the Mediterranean.

Cujo, which once belonged to Dodi Al-Fayed , was reportedly holed after hitting an unidentified object off Beaulieu-sur-Mer, on the French Riviera .

All seven passengers were rescued uninjured and safely evacuated on a life raft.

But the 80ft boat ended up at a depth of at least 2,430 metres despite salvage attempts.

Cujo's latest owner was at the helm when the accident happened on July 29.

The Italian , who owns a home in the French Riviera, tried and failed to pump out the water, local media reports.

read more world news

Moment stowaways who survived for 14 DAYS on ship's rudder are rescued

Horror as paddleboarders find man's body floating in sea at Brit hols hotspot

A second attempt was made by a tugboat dispatched to the scene, to no avail.

Emergency services were called at around 12.30pm, and 45 minutes later, a rescue boat arrived at the scene to find the yacht's bow partially submerged with some cabins already flooded.

The superyacht hit the headlines in the summer of 1997, when the Princess of Wales was photographed aboard with Al-Fayed.

Weeks later, on August 31, the pair died in a crash in Paris when their car hit a pillar in the Alma tunnel while fleeing paparazzi.

Most read in The Sun

Man stabbed to death outside Tottenham Hotspur stadium as club makes statement

Mum pushing pram 'stabbed in neck & left to die next to baby' as killer fled

Terrifying moment plane bounces off runway as storm grounds over 100 flights.

My son, 13, had a lazy Sunday playing Fortnite - hours later I found him dead

After their death, Cujo fell into disrepair before it was restored by a member of the late owner’s family at a cost of €800,000 (£689,000).

The motor yacht had been moored in the port of Beaulieu-sur-Mer but was no longer in pristine condition.

“It had regular maintenance problems,” local paper Nice Matin reported.

Le Figaro also reported it had had 7,000 litres of fuel on board, but added that there was little risk of significant pollution.

In 2020, the superyacht was auctioned and bought by a wealthy Italian family for £171,000.

Cujo was built in Italy in 1972 for John von Neumann, a businessman who had made a fortune selling Porsche and Volkswagen cars in the US .

Von Neumann told Italy’s Baglietto yard that he wanted the world’s fastest yacht, which was achieved with two diesel turbo engines delivering a top speed of 40 knots.

The businessman kept it for a few years before selling it to the son of Adnan Khashoggi, the arms dealer said in the 1980s to be the world’s richest man. He in turn sold it to Al-Fayed, his cousin.

In the 1990s, Cujo became a star-studded yacht, as Al-Fayed invited the likes of Brooke Shields, Clint Eastwood , Tony Curtis and Bruce Willis on board.

• Princess Diana

Superyacht where Princess Diana enjoyed her last holiday sinks to bottom of Mediterranean

Cujo, the yacht where Princess Diana and Dodi Al-Fayed spent their last holiday in August 1997, sunk in the Mediterranean over the weekend. According to reports, it was holed after hitting an object

• 17:46, 3 Aug 2023
• Updated 18:02, 3 Aug 2023

The superyacht where Princess Diana and her boyfriend Dodi Al-Fayed spent their last ever summer holiday before their deaths has sunk in the Mediterranean.

Cujo, which once belonged to Mr Al-Fayed, was reportedly holed after hitting an object off Beaulieu-sur-Mer on the French Riviera on Saturday. Seven people who were on board were rescued uninjured after getting into an inflatable dinghy, but the yacht sank, ending up at a depth of at least 2,430 metres.

The yacht's latest owner was an Italian man with a home on the French Riviera who was driving it when the incident happened. According to French media reports, he tried to pump out the water but failed, and even after a tugboat was dispatched to the scene, Cujo could not be stopped from sinking.

Emergency services were called at around 12.30pm and when a rescue boat arrived 45 minutes later, it found the yacht's bow partially submerged, with some cabins already flooded. One officer said: "The skipper of the Cujo issued a Mayday. His ship was sinking due to a leak.

"Rescue boats were sent from Antibes, and, after making sure everyone was safe, gendarmes detected a significant water leak at the level of the starboard front hull. Her owner had activated the pumps and kept the engines running, but this didn't stop the boat sinking."

Cujo, an Indian word that means "Unstoppable Force", made headlines in 1997 when it was owned by Diana's boyfriend. He had spent around £1million refitting it and before the couple died in a car crash in Paris, they were pictured on the yacht in St Tropez. That same summer, Diana was also photographed on Sokar, which was then owned by Al-Fayed's father, Mohamed.

The yacht - previously called Jonikal - was built in Italy in 1972 for businessman John von Neumann, who had told Baglietto Shipyard that he wanted the world's fastest yacht. The makers fitted Cujo with two 18-cylinder engines which allowed it to have a top speed of 40 knots. The businessman kept it for a few years and then sold it to the son of arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi who then sold it to his cousin, Mr Al-Fayed.

When Mr Al-Fayed moored the yacht off St Tropez in the 1990s, he invited celebrities including Clint Eastwood and Bruce Willis on board. After Diana and her boyfriend died, the yacht fell into disrepair before being restored by a family member who spent £688,000 (€800,000), according to Nice Matin . In 2020, it was put up for auction and was bought by a wealthy Italian family for £164,000 (€190,720).

In recent years, Cujo was moored in the port of Beaulieu-sur-Mer. But a local person told Nice Matin that it "regularly encountered maintenance problems." According to French newspaper Le Figaro , Cujo contained 7,000 litres of petrol but authorities said they found "little pollution" nearby. The maritime prefecture said: "It's never good news for the environment, but the forecast is that the heat and the swells will allow the gasoline to evaporate and churn."

MORE ON Princess Diana Royal Family Dodi Fayed

Get our daily royal round-up direct to your inbox.

Six presumed dead after cargo ship crash levels Baltimore bridge

BALTIMORE — A major Baltimore bridge collapsed like a house of cards early Tuesday after it was struck by a container ship, sending six people to their deaths in the dark waters below, and closing one of the country’s busiest ports.

By nightfall, the desperate search for six people who were working on the bridge and vanished when it fell apart had become a grim search for bodies.

“We do not believe that we’re going to find any of these individuals still alive,” Coast Guard Rear Admiral Shannon N. Gilreath said.

Jeffrey Pritzker, executive vice president of Brawner Builders, said earlier that one of his workers had survived. He did not release their names.

Up until then, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore had held out hope that the missing people might be found even as law enforcement warned that the frigid water and the fact that there had been no sign of them since 1:30 a.m. when the ship struck Francis Scott Key Bridge.

Moore expressed heartbreak after officials suspended the search for survivors.

"Our heart goes out to the families," he said. "I can’t imagine how painful today has been for these families, how painful these hours have been have been for these families."

It was a crushing blow to the loved ones of the missing men, who had waited for hours at a Royal Farms convenience store near the entrance of the bridge for word of their fate. 

Follow live updates on the Baltimore bridge collapse

The tragic chain of events began early Tuesday when the cargo ship Dali notified authorities that it had lost power and issued a mayday moments before the 984-foot vessel slammed into a bridge support at a speed of 8 knots, which is about 9 mph.

Moore declared a state of emergency while rescue crews using sonar detected at least five vehicles in the frigid 50-foot-deep water: three passenger cars, a cement truck and another vehicle of some kind. Authorities do not believe anyone was inside the vehicles.

Investigators quickly concluded that it was an accident and not an act of terrorism.

Ship was involved in another collision

Earlier, two people were rescued from the water, Baltimore Fire Chief James Wallace said. One was in good condition and refused treatment, he said. The other was seriously injured and was being treated in a trauma center.

Moore said other drivers might have been in the water had it not been for those who, upon hearing the mayday, blocked off the bridge and kept other vehicles from crossing.

“These people are heroes,” Moore said. “They saved lives.”

Nearly eight years ago, the Dali was involved in an accident. In July 2016, it struck a quay at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges in Belgium, damaging the quay.

The nautical commission investigated the accident, but the details of the inquiry were not immediately clear Tuesday.

The Dali is operated and managed by Synergy Group. In a statement, the company said that two port pilots were at the helm during Tuesday's crash and that all 22 crew members onboard were accounted for.

The Dali was chartered by the Danish shipping giant Maersk, which said it would have no choice but to send its ships to other nearby ports with the Port of Baltimore closed.

The bridge, which is about a mile and a half long and carries Interstate 695 over the Patapsco River southeast of Baltimore, was "fully up to code," Moore said.

National Transportation Safety Board Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said that her agency will lead the investigation and that a data recorder on the ship could provide more information.

"But right now we're focusing on the people, on the families," she said. "The rest can wait."

President Joe Biden vowed to rebuild the bridge and send federal funds.

"This is going to take some time," the president warned. "The people of Baltimore can count on us though to stick with them, at every step of the way, till the port is reopened and the bridge is rebuilt."

Speaking in Baltimore, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg echoed the president's promise.

"This is no ordinary bridge," he said. "This is one of the cathedrals of American infrastructure."

But Buttigieg warned that replacing the bridge and reopening the port will take time and money and that it could affect supply chains.

The Port of Baltimore, the 11th largest in the U.S., is the busiest port for car imports and exports, handling more than 750,000 vehicles in 2023 alone, according to data from the Maryland Port Administration.

Writer David Simon, a champion of Baltimore who set his TV crime drama "The Wire" on the streets of the city he once covered as a reporter, warned online that the people who will suffer the most are those whose livelihoods depend on the port.

"Thinking first of the people on the bridge," Simon posted on X . "But the mind wanders to a port city strangling. All the people who rely on ships in and out."

Timeline of crash

Dramatic video captured the moment at 1:28 a.m. Tuesday when the Dali struck a support and sent the bridge tumbling into the water. A livestream showed cars and trucks on the bridge just before the strike. The ship did not sink, and its lights remained on.

Investigators said in a timeline that the Dali's lights suddenly shut off four minutes earlier before they came back on and that then, at 1:25 a.m. dark black smoke began billowing from the ship's chimney.

A minute later, at 1:26 a.m., the ship appeared to turn. And in the minutes before it slammed into the support, the lights flickered again.

Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld said the workers on the bridge were repairing concrete ducts when the ship crashed into the structure.

At least seven workers were pouring concrete to fix potholes on the roadway on the bridge directly above where the ship hit, said James Krutzfeldt, a foreman.

Earlier, the Coast Guard said it had received a report that a “motor vessel made impact with the bridge” and confirmed it was the Dali, a containership sailing under a Singaporean flag that was heading for Sri Lanka.

Bobby Haines, who lives in Dundalk in Baltimore County, said he felt the impact of the bridge collapse from his house nearby.

"I woke up at 1:30 this morning and my house shook, and I was freaking out," he said. "I thought it was an earthquake, and to find out it was a bridge is really, really scary."

Families of bridge workers wait for updates

Earlier in the day, relatives of the construction crew waited for updates on their loved ones.

Marian Del Carmen Castellon told Telemundo her husband, Miguel Luna, 49, was working on the bridge.

“They only tell us that we have to wait and that they can’t give us information,” she said.

Castellon said she was "devastated, devastated because our heart is broken, because we don’t know how they have been rescued yet. We are just waiting for the news."

Luna's co-worker Jesús Campos said he felt crushed, too.

“It hurts my heart to see what is happening. We are human beings, and they are my folks,” he said.

Campos told The Baltimore Banner that the missing men are from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico.

Active search and rescue ends

The Coast Guard said it was suspending the active search-and-rescue effort at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.

"Coast Guard’s not going away, none of our partners are going away, but we’re just going to transition into a different phase," Gilreath said at a news conference.

Maryland State Police Superintendent Roland L. Butler, Jr., said it was moving to a recovery operation. Changing conditions have made it dangerous for divers, he said. 

Butler pledged to "do our very best to recover those six missing people," but the conditions are difficult.

"If we look at how challenging it is at a simple motor vehicle crash to extract an individual, I'm sure we can all imagine how much harder it is to do it in inclement weather, when it's cold, under the water, with very limited to no visibility," he said.

"There's a tremendous amount of debris in the water," which can include sharp metal and other hazards, and that could take time, Butler said.

'A long road in front of us'

Built in 1977 and referred to locally as the Key Bridge, the structure was later named after the author of the American national anthem.

The bridge is more than 8,500 feet long, or 1.6 miles. Its main section spans 1,200 feet, and it was one of the longest continuous truss bridges in the world upon its completion, according to the National Steel Bridge Alliance .

About 31,000 vehicles a day use the bridge, which equals 11.3 million vehicles per year, according to the Maryland Transportation Authority.

The river and the Port of Baltimore are both key to the shipping industry on the East Coast, generating more than $3.3 billion a year and directly employing more than 15,000 people.

Asked what people in Baltimore can expect going forward, the state's transportation secretary said it is too early to tell.

"Obviously we reached out to a number of engineering companies, so obviously we have a long road in front of us," Wiedefeld said.

Julia Jester reported from Baltimore, Patrick Smith from London, Corky Siemaszko from New York and Phil Helsel from Los Angeles.

Julia Jester is a producer for NBC News based in Washington, D.C.

Patrick Smith is a London-based editor and reporter for NBC News Digital.

Phil Helsel is a reporter for NBC News.

Corky Siemaszko is a senior reporter for NBC News Digital.

Over 90 Killed As Boat Sinks Off Mozambique Coast

The converted fishing boat, carrying about 130 people, ran into trouble as it tried to reach an island off Nampula province, officials said.

Nampula is the worst affected region, accounting for a third of all cases. (Representational)

More than 90 people died when an overcrowded makeshift ferry sank off the north coast of Mozambique, local authorities said on Sunday.

"Because the boat was overcrowded and unsuited to carry passengers it ended up sinking ... There are 91 people who lost their lives," said Nampula's secretary of state Jaime Neto.

Many children were among the victims, he added 

Rescuers had found five survivors and were searching for more, but sea conditions were making the operation difficult.

Most passengers were trying to escape the mainland because of a panic caused by disinformation about cholera, Neto said.  

The southern African country, one of the world's poorest, has recorded almost 15,000 cases of the waterborne disease and 32 deaths since October, according to government data.

Nampula is the worst affected region, accounting for a third of all cases.

Promoted Listen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.com

An investigative team had was working to find out the causes of the boat disaster, the official said. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Track Budget 2023 and get Latest News Live on NDTV.com.

Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world .

Track Latest News and Election Results Coverage Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.

Watch Live News:

Moscow Boat Tour

• Page active

Description

See all the gems of historical and cultural center of the capital in short time and without traffic jams or tiresome walking.

Depending on the itinerary and duration of the Moscow River boat trip, the tour can be 3 or 5 hours.

Highlights of the tour

• St Basil’s Cathedral;
• Stalin skyscraper on Kotelnicheskaya (Tinkers) embankment;
• The Kremlin;
• “House on the Embankment” Stalin skyscraper;
• Monument to Peter I;
• The Central House of Artists;
• Christ the Savior Cathedral;
• Gorky Park;
• Moscow State University;
• Russian Academy of Sciences;
• Luzhniki stadium;
• Novodevichy Monastery;
• Kiev railway station;
• Europe Square;
• Moscow City Hall;
• Government House;
• Expocentre Exhibition Complex;
• and other famous sights.

You will learn about the different epochs of the city from the foundation in 1147 till Soviet times of 20 th  century.

Moscow River

Moskva river has the form of a snake and is the main waterway of Moscow, consisting of a cascade of reservoirs. Within the city, Moskva river is 80 km long, 120 m - 200 m wide and up to 14 m deep. The narrowest part of the river is the Kremlin area in the city center, and the most extensive is around the Luzhniki Stadium in the south. 

Bridges in Moscow

Undoubtedly, bridges and embankments are among the most scenic spots and main attractions of Moscow. Plus, they are so romantic.

• Bolshoy Kamenny Bridge –  Great Stone Bridge –  is the main bridge of Moscow . The first stone bridge was constructed here in the 17th century.
• Patriarshy Bridge  is one of the youngest pedestrian bridges, built in 2004. The bridge connects the iconic Christ the Saviour Cathedral with funky Bersenevskaya embankment, extremely popular place among locals for its trendy art galleries, cafes and panoramic views. Patriarshy Bridge used to be a shooting location for ex-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's New Year speech to the nation.
• Borodinsky Bridge,  erected in honor of the 100th anniversary of the glorious victory in the Battle of Borodino (which every Russian kid knows about), a fierce legendary battle during the Russo-French war of 1812.
• Bagration Bridge  one of the  pedestrian bridges with most picturesque views of the Moskva River with its numerous upper-level observation platforms. The bridge was erected to celebrate the 850th anniversary of Moscow city in 1997.
• Krymsky Bridge  used to be in Top 5 Europe’s longest bridges some 100 years ago. The bridge got its name after the ancient Krymsky ford which Crimean Tartars used to invade Moscow in the 16 th  century.

Embankments of Moscow

Moscow river boats 37 embankments, the most popular being Kremlevskaya, Sofiyskaya, Pushkinskaya, Vorobyovskaya and Kolomenskaya.

You can get the most spectacular views of the Kremlin from  Kremlevskaya and Sofiyskaya embankments.

• Pushkinkaya embankment  is the most romantic in Moscow. It meanders along Gorky Park and Neskuchnyi garden and is rich for all kinds of entertainment as well as cozy nooks, including Olivkovy beach, the famous Zeleny theater as well as a pier for river cruisers.
• Vorobyevskaya embankment  is part of Sparrow Hills nature reserve. This place opens a beautiful panorama of the river and city from the observation deck and is considered to be the place for taking serious decisions in life.
• Embankment in Kolomenskoye  Museum-Reserve has a special charm due to its peculiar geographical relief. The boat trip around Kolomenskoye would be the most peaceful in your life.
• Taras Shevchenko embankment  is popular among photographers for its modern Moscow City skyscrapers. Highly recommended for your night boat trip.
• Embankments of Moscow are the pride of the capital. A distinctive feature of each of the promenades is its architecture and beautiful views. In addition, almost all the embankments of Moscow have a rich history and a lot of notable buildings.

Different epochs

Taking a walk along the Moskva River by boat, you will witness the architecture of Moscow from different eras and styles. Archaeological studies indicate that already in the XI century there stood a fortified settlement on Borovitsky hill, which is now called the Kremlin. Little fortress could not accommodate all the residents of the rapidly growing city, and the Grand Duke ordered the construction of a new Kremlin, larger than the former.

Boat trip around Kolomenskoe Park

Moscow river boat trip starts from the pier Klenovy (Maple) Boulevard and provides reat views of Nicholas Perervinsky monastery.

Nicholas Perervinsky monastery was founded at the time of the Battle of Kulikov (1380). The monastery, got its name from the surrounding area – “Pererva”, which can be translated like “tear off” and because of the location –  here it abruptly changed its course, turning to Kolomna, standing on the opposite bank.

Nowadays Kolomenskoye is State Art, Historical, Architectural and Natural Landscape Museum-Reserve, which doors are open to everyone who wants to get in touch with the ancient history of Russia.

Take a break from the big city hustle in the shady parks and gardens of the Kolomenskoe Museum-Reserve. Don’t miss a wonderful Church of the Ascension and Tsar Alexey’s Palace in Kolomenskoye!

Monasteries and temples

• Novospassky Monastery
• Founded in the 13th century on the site where now is located the Danilovsky monastery. After a few decades, in 1330, Ivan Kalita moved the monastery onto the Borovitskii hill of the Kremlin. However, in the 15th century, Spassky Monastery again moved, this time to a more spacious place on Krasnoholmskaya waterfront.
• Church of St. Nicholas in Zayaitskom
• Erected in the middle of the XVIII century in baroque style. The building survived after the 1812 fire, but the utensils were destoyed. Parishioners collected donations and restored the temple on their own. In Soviet times, it was closed and re-opened only in 1992.
• Cathedral of Christ the Savior
• The church was originally erected in honor of the victory over Napoleon and was being under construction for long 44 years. Notoriously demolished in 1937 to be a giant swimming pool under open sky. The current building was constructed in 1990s. It is the tallest and one of the largest Orthodox churches in the world.
• The temple was built in 1679-82, during the reign of Tsar Fedor Alekseevich, in late Muscovite Baroque style and can be characterized as bonfire temple. Each gable is a symbol of a heavenly fire.
• Novodevichy Convent
• The most famous concent and monastery in Moscow, presumably founded in 1524. Novodevichy’s status has always been high among other monasteries, it was in this monastery where the women of the royal blood, the wives of Tsars and local rulers of Moscow were kept in prison as nuns.
• St. Andrew’s church  (male acts as Compound Patriarch of Moscow)
• St. Andrew’s church stands right on the slopes of the Sparrow Hills, on the way down to the Moskva River, on the territory of the Nature Reserve “Sparrow Hills”. The monastery is small in size but is very cozy. It’s situated in a quiet courtyard surrounded by temples, fruit trees and flowers.

What you get:

• + A friend in Moscow.
• + Private & customized Moscow river cruise.
• + An exciting pastime, not just boring history lessons.
• + An authentic experience of local life.
• + Flexibility: changes can be made at any time to suit individual preferences.
• + Amazing deals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the very best cafes & restaurants. Discounts on weekdays (Mon-Fri).
• + A photo session amongst spectacular Moscow scenery that can be treasured for a lifetime.
• + Good value for souvenirs, taxis, and hotels.
• + Expert advice on what to do, where to go, and how to make the most of your time in Moscow.

Write your review

• 125212, Moscow, Leningradskoye Highway, 39 p. 6 Royal Yacht Club
• Miami +1 786 233 7721 London +44 203 807 94 54 Moscow +7 495 215 19 11
• [email protected]

• Things to Do
• Restaurants
• Vacation Rentals
• Travel Stories
• Rental Cars
• Add a Place
• Travel Forum
• Travelers' Choice
• Help Center

RADISSON Boats - Moscow River Boat Tours

• Europe    
• Russia    
• Central Russia    
• Moscow    
• Moscow - Things to Do    
• Moscow River Boat Tours

I got a nice luxury boat. It has good restaurant inside too. Boat tour is around 1.5 hours. The... read more

I would recommend the Moscow Sightseeing River Cruise. Definitely great value for a two hour... read more

RADISSON Boats

Seriously now, how it is even possible to have a girl in the tickets issuing white building , in the Gorky Park Pier, who is exceptional RUDE and she doesn't know even a simple word of English and she seem that she doesn't care to sell any tickets to tourists ?! We left the ticket office because she couldn't answer to anything and because she was really aggressive because we don't speak Russian!!! Despite the fact that we were really kind and smiling, trying to speak to her. We found completely unacceptable the fact that they work with tourists but they demand from them to know Russian! Even though, a kind and gently mannered person will find a way to explain something. Unfortunately the specific ...lady was a savage-like one, coming from the mountains and never having met other people again. What a shame.

Dear Efstathios D! Thank you for your feedback! First of all we are so sorry about this situation! Next time we are highly recommend to purchas tickets online/ Best regards, Rivertickets.ru

Starting out for an 8:00 p.m. cruise on a poor or rather dull August 1st day, we had to wait for a later boarding at about 20:15! We were shepherded upstairs to the upper deck, which was thankfully enclosed with glass windows, with seats facing both forward and backwards or better… fore and aft facing! As we reached the top deck (about 7 steps, but steep) we walked about 6 meters and had to jog to the right, in order not to disturb a mic boom and speaker setup, denoting our impending entertainment for the evening! 2 chairs, padded, adorned with 2 very well used 6-string guitars… plus a load of other equipment, including 5' high speakers and amps, etc. My party (4 of us) including my wife, her half-sister with her husband, whom we had only known about 14 months, after belatedly finding out about each other, who were visiting us from a European country for a few days! Super people! My wife had arranged this trip at the tentative request of her half-brother-in-law. The boat was nothing special as far as comfort was concerned, but we had front seats! I was a little worried about volume from the massive speakers! No worry needed! We left, with perhaps one third full of passengers only and the 2 chairs were almost immediately occupied by 2 men, pleasant looking, both nicely dressed, who picked up the guitars and the first, Dmitry, began to narrate our passage along the Moscow River. Shortly afterwards, the narration comfortable allowed the introduction of the first song, with basic chords being played by Dmitry with Alexei playing, expert accompaniment to Dmitry's vocals. He thoroughly enjoyed his role, as did Dmitry. For 21/2 hours, we plied the river, with an ever deepening dusk, bringing forth romantic Russian songs by well-known Russian composers, making the river trip a really enjoyable experience, particularly as both my wife and I are both fans of this type of music along with our newly-found family. The engine noises could hardly be heard, the cabin was pleasantly warm, but not hot, and tea and coffee was served an hour before landing. Docking happened at about 22:20 with no rush and we alighted at the same point that we had boarded… a very enjoyable evening all told! Thank you Moscow River Tours or Art_Stolitsa!

Dear granmar! Thank you for your feedback! We will be happy to see you again. Best regards, Rivertickets.ru

It’s very bad that when we enter the boat they told us go upstairs! Then a russian guiding started to talk from the starting point! No respect to other nationalities or tourists languages! At least do something in international languages! My money went for nothing Understand nothing in this beautiful country’s History!!!!!!

Dear Mrmretta! Thank you for your feedback! It is helps us to be better. We will start our English speaking guided cruise soon. Best regards, Rivertickets.ru

Loud music. No service. Look like that they did not want to sell anything. Taste less food. Exhaust in the resturant. No safety informasjon. Cheap tour Cheap food. Crappy service. Try some other place.

Dear Tore S! Thank you for your review. It helps us become better. Best regards, Rivertickets.ru

Today we decided to do a river cruise to orientate us to Moscow. With no knowledge of Russian we purchased an audio guide. We walked 9kms in very hot weather to get to the departure point and asked several people for directions. Number one frustration is that muscovites don't get tourism or customer service and look straight thru you. We finally found the wharf and with several boats departing we got the same 'look straight through you' until finally we had to shame someone into finding our boat the Cahta Mapnr, which then departed 35 mins later then the booking agent advised. We went to the top deck which had no cover and tried to find some shade.And you guessed it the audio didn't work. The staff had no idea how to handle a disgruntled passenger and i got nowhere asking for a refund. Go back to the booking agent they said to which i replied ' how would they know i didnt get what i paid for. I have worked in tourism for most of my working life so know a bit about the industry. You have a wonderful product but you must train your operators! There was one young man,Bec, who tried valiantly to placate me and he will go far. I admit I lost my cool after being ignored by so many and frying in the hot sun and not being able to identify the magnificent buildings..

Dear Julie B! Thank you for your feedback! First of all we are so sorry about this situation! Next time we are highly recommend to purchas tickets online. Best regards, Rivertickets.ru

No tour info in English. Mostly Russians on this boat. We were the only non-Russian tourists. If you don't buy the ticket online, they charge more than double the price at the pier. (If you are looking at a tablet or computer screen you will see this info, but not on a phone screen.) As a result many customers were complaining and arguing with the ticket sellers. The boat was playing LOUD unbearably awful music. Website stated that music would be played and we were expecting Russian folk tunes with balalaikas. Instead, we got really bad rock with English lyrics. The cruise was 2+ hours and it would have been impossible to enjoy with the noise. It was so bad that we asked for our money back before the boat departed. They said they could not provide a refund because the tickets had been torn already. After we caused a minor insurrection --luckily we had a Russian friend with us -- the captain turned off the music. (He said he didn't like it either but he was required to play it.) There are numerous river tour companies in Moscow and most seem to be in the same price range. I recommend asking them if the boats have outdoor shaded places where you will not be subjected to loud music.

Dear JanetOO! Thank you for your feedback! On our website we have all information in English. Best regards, Rivertickets.ru