A millionaire's yacht went up in flames shortly after it launched, and a video clip shared to the r/CatastrophicFailure subreddit showed its collapse.
"Italian Businessman's $24 Million Superyacht with a Pool Goes Up in Flames Weeks After Delivery," wrote the original poster.
The boat in question was the Aria SF, which sank off the coast of the Spanish island of Formentera, according to the Guardian. The boat was owned by Italian businessman Paolo Scudieri, who had received it from manufacturers just a month prior. Seven crew members and nine passengers escaped the wreck unscathed, while the yacht was towed to nearby Ibiza. In addition to the pool, the 155-foot superyacht also had a gym.
The Aria is not alone in suffering technical failures early in its lifespan. Another yacht sank off the coast of Turkey mere minutes after its maiden voyage.
Luxury boats are more than just a tacky eyesore. They represent some of the least sustainable modes of transportation. According to one study, a yacht owned by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos emitted more pollution annually than the average American could in 447 years. Meanwhile, Walmart's owners crank out more pollution from their yachts than their average employee could in 1,700 years.
That pollution traps heat in the atmosphere and exacerbates destructive weather patterns, which in turn incurs all sorts of costs on property owners around the world, not to mention the steep ecological damage they cause.
While the ultra-wealthy's yachts will likely take to the seas on a regular basis without regulatory intervention to significantly rein in the industry, you can help combat the problems they introduce. Using low-impact travel options like rail can provide comfort and flexibility while minimizing the environmental and economic impacts of other forms of transportation.
The Reddit community had little sympathy for the billionaire's sinking boat.
"Man, that pool didn't help at all," wrote one commenter.
"Hope he kept the receipt," replied another.
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