A three-generation family holiday turned tragic on 27 July when 60-year-old property-maintenance manager Peter Colville died during an excursion aboard the Legend Big Kral pirate-themed cruise ship off Alanya, Turkey, reported the Mirror.
Colville had arrived in the resort town on 20 July with ten relatives — his wife Rosalind, two daughters, two sisters and several grandchildren — and each paid about £200 for the day-long cruise, which promoted DJs, snorkeling, children’s shows and a foam party, the outlet wrote.
During a swim stop near Cleopatra Beach he entered the water with other passengers. “When my brother-in-law came back out the sea after swimming, he turned around when he realised my dad was no longer behind him,” said daughter Nakita Colville, according to the Mirror. Tourists found Colville floating face-up and unconscious, hauled him aboard, and a fellow passenger began cardiopulmonary resuscitation while relatives watched.
Nakita told the newspaper that roughly 600 passengers were on board yet the crew appeared “unbothered and clueless.” “One of the other guests began giving CPR while the crew members just stood there with their arms crossed,” she said. She added that a barman examined her father, declared him dead and covered him with a towel.
The Turkish Coast Guard later transferred Colville to shore, and hospital staff confirmed his death, the Mirror reported. “We were living the worst moments of our lives,” said Nakita, adding that crew members apologised to guests only for the delayed foam party.
Other passengers posted similar accounts on Tripadvisor. “He was laid on the deck – and then nothing. No proper procedures, no immediate CPR,” wrote one traveller, according to the Mirror. Another passenger said that after the victim was removed, “we were simply told the emergency was over and they continued to play loud music and try to sell more photos.”
Nakita recounted that her mother collapsed from shock during the resuscitation effort, reported Wales Online’s Cariad section. She and her sister held their father’s hand and screamed for help, she said.
The ship’s Tripadvisor page states it can carry up to 1,200 guests; Nakita estimated more than 600 were aboard. British Maritime and Coastguard Agency guidance says vessels regularly carrying more than 100 people should have a defibrillator, yet it is unclear whether one was present.
Post-mortems conducted in Turkey and in the United Kingdom failed to establish a cause of death, and investigations continue, wrote the Sun. “As far as we knew, or he knew, he was healthy – we have no idea what happened,” said Nakita. “We can’t say it was the company’s fault that he died, but maybe he could’ve been saved – and how it was dealt with was awful.”
Big Kral Pirate Boats did not respond to requests for comment, the Mirror reported. Colville’s relatives say they intend to push for clearer safety rules. “My dad was the loveliest dad and grandad and he deserved to be treated with respect – and he wasn’t,” said Nakita.
Produced with the assistance of a news-analysis system.