The owner of the yacht that caught fire and sank Sunday night off Salobreña has been ordered to have it refloated by the Martime Authority.

This 17-metre-long craft lies about 50 metres down, 800 metres off the coast after finally sinking around 21.30h that same evening.

Salvamento Marítimo was deployed several hours trying to put the flames out and so that the yacht could be towed into Motril Port. However, they were unable to extinguish the flames, primarily because the flames spread rapidly throughout its fibreglass hull.

The yacht, which was a Sunseeker Camarge 55, with a value of over 100,000 euros, left some floating wreckage on the surface, which Salvamento Marítimo picked up so that it would not cause a navigational hazard.

Fortunately, the fuel in the crafts tanks was consumed by the flames and did not form a spill and the remains of the craft, lying as they do 50 metres down, should not cause a problem for shipping, either.

If the boat owner has re-floating included within the boat’s insurance policy, then it will take care of the operation, which involves using large bouyancy bags to bring it to the surface. The Maritime Authority will allow a reasonable amount of time for this to be carried out and will in the meantime send a report to the Comisión de Investigación de Accidentes e Incidentes Marítimos.

If the owner doesn’t have this carried out or he refuses to refloat the wreck, then Salvamento and Capitanía Marítima (Maritime Authority) will do it and pass on the bill.

As for the evening of the incident, the owner and his partner were rescued by a leisure craft that was nearby.

(News: Salobrena, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia – Video: Salvamento Marítimo)