Boatload of trouble! Superyacht the Lovebug capsizes in Chesapeake Bay, prompting wild rescue
By Natalie O'Neill,
2024-07-31
They were almost in deep ship!
A superyacht capsized in the Chesapeake Bay near Washington, DC , forcing passengers to plunge into the water as it sank — and prompting a dramatic rescue, authorities said.
The splashy, 122-foot vessel, known as the Lovebug, began taking on water around 12:30 p.m. Saturday near Edgewater, Maryland, police and witnesses told CBS Baltimore .
Striking footage shows the $8 million superyacht — which docks at the Annapolis Yacht Club and costs $125,000 to charter per week — sinking on its side in a heavily traveled area near the mouth of the West River.
Trevor Hardman was in a boat nearby when he realized folks onboard were up a creek.
The captain, who was not identified, was baffled by what may have caused the yacht to capsize, said Hardman, who spoke to the seaman after he was plucked from the bay.
“In the moment, I was like, ‘Did you run aground? He was like, ‘No … We were taking on water,’” Hardman said. “Boats of that size have alarms that tell you when there’s water inside the boat.”
Police are investigating what caused the nautical mishap.
“The biggest thing now is just to get the vessel salvaged so that we can hopefully get some clues as to what happened,” said Cpl. Christopher Neville of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Police.
The Italian-made yacht, which was previously named Anastasia M, features jet ski storage and a small pool along with enough room to host 11 guests and seven crew members, according to boatinternational.com .
After the vessel capsized, first responders set up barriers around the yacht to contain a potential fuel leak, but authorities don’t believe any spilled, CBS reported.
One person aboard the yacht complained of head soreness after the rescue but declined to go to the hospital.
“It could have been a lot worse had everybody not remained calm and spoke on the radio and were clear to make sure that everybody was accounted for,” Hardman said.
The marine service Towboats US also helped with the rescue, he said.
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