This is the dramatic moment when a 24-meter luxury yacht, allegedly owned by a professional poker player nicknamed ‘The Lion’, caught fire off the paradisiacal Mediterranean island of Formentera.
Five crew and 12 passengers would have been on board the yacht, but were able to leave it in time despite the speed with which the Italian-designed cruiser was transformed into a floating inferno.
Only one of the crew, described as a 39-year-old Spaniard who suffered minor burns, required hospital treatment, according to regional disaster response coordinators.
The alarm went off at around 6pm yesterday as the yacht, which costs £46,000 to charter in the summer, was anchored off Es Cavall d’en Borras beach in the Ses Salines Natural Park.
Spectators gathered nearby in their own boats to watch the blaze erupt as thick black smoke rose into the air above the stricken ship that belonged to poker player Diego Gomez Gonzalez, also known as The Lion.
It is not yet known if Gonzalez was on his yacht, locally named Irmao, or if it was chartered. The 34-year-old, from Madrid, got his nickname after dressing up in a full-body lion costume at the 2012 European Poker Tour final table in Prague.
This is the dramatic moment when an 88-foot luxury yacht allegedly owned by a professional poker player nicknamed ‘The Lion’ went up in flames off the paradisiacal Mediterranean island of Formentera
Shocking images show how the yacht turns into a raging inferno. It is unknown what caused the fire
The Irmao yacht (pictured) costs nearly £40,000 to charter. It sleeps 12 in a VIP cabin, a twin cabin and four twin cabins
The beautiful yacht has a Jacuzzi on the deck. It is unknown if Gonzalez was on board
The alarm went off at around 6 p.m. yesterday while the yacht was anchored off the beach of Es Cavall d’en Borras in the Ses Salines Natural Park
It is understood that the yacht belongs to professional poker player Diego Gomez Gonzalez, also known as The Lion, after coming to a tournament in a full-body lion costume.
Local media reports that he was born in the Spanish capital in 1988 and learned poker by playing with his family and school friends.
He started taking it up online and later joined the Spanish poker circuit. His biggest win of his career came on the European Poker Tour in Prague when he finished fifth and collected £200,000.
The following year he also came second in the EPT Master’s Final in Dortmund, taking home £30,000.
The fine sandy beach where his yacht anchored is one of the best in Formentera – a Balearic island next to Ibiza – where Leonardo DiCaprio has been seen partying in recent days.
It is home to the famous El Tiburon and Beso Beach bar-restaurants.
Shocking video shows the devastating damage caused by the roaring flames as the ship is completely gutted.
The flames would have spread through the yacht within minutes, turning it into a ball of fire visible from Ibiza.
It was not immediately clear this morning whether those on board were tourists who had chartered the yacht or guests of the owner.
Their nationality has not yet been disclosed.
The yacht is based in Ibiza and is marketed online as being available for ‘alien charter holidays’.
It sleeps 12 in a VIP cabin, a twin cabin and four twin cabins.
Built in 1995, the luxury yacht also features a Jacuzzi on the deck, while guests have access to water skis, paddle boards and snorkeling equipment.
Irmao costs £45,800 to charter in the summer and £38,900 in the low season.
The Spanish Coast Guard responded to the emergency by towing the yacht further out to sea and assisting in extinguishing the flames.
Five crew and 12 passengers would have been aboard the yacht, but were able to leave it in time despite the speed at which the raging inferno engulfed the Italian-designed cruiser
The Spanish Coast Guard responded to the emergency by towing the yacht further out to sea and assisting in extinguishing the flames
Last summer, a £20 million superyacht owned by wealthy Italian businessman Paolo Scudieri went up in flames off the coast of Ibiza.
The 45-meter ship Aria SF caught fire on August 11, just a month after it was delivered to its multimillionaire owner.
The Spanish Coast Guard sent two lifeboats to the area when the nine passengers and seven crew members abandoned ship on a distress call following a failed attempt to extinguish the fire. There were no reports of injuries.
The black smoke that caused the fire could be seen as far as Mallorca.