A HUGE pirate-themed boat carrying 148 people, including Brit tourists, has sunk off the coast of Turkey.

The “Big Boss Diamond” boat, beloved by holidaymakers, sank near Paradise Island on the Mediterranean coast on Friday.

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Passengers leapt into the sea as their dream day out turned to disasterCredit: tvnet
 

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The pirate-themed boat was carrying 148 people when it started taking on waterCredit: A Haber
 

The pirate-themed party boat Bigboss Diamond sinking in the water next to a tree-covered hillside.
The ship went down fast, sinking completely in just an hourCredit: tvnet
 

A partially submerged shipwreck with masts and rigging visible, lying on its side near a green, forested shoreline.
Passengers were forced to leap into the sea to safetyCredit: Facebook
All 148 people onboard were forced to abandon ship as the boat sank into the sea.

Many panicked passengers jumped into the sea to save themselves.

Terrifying footage showed holidaymakers leaping from the sinking ship as others clung on for dear life.

20 children were on the boat when the terrifying accident took place.

 

A large wooden ship with multiple masts half-submerged in clear blue water, with a lush green and rocky mountain in the background under a blue sky.
The pirate party boat was carrying more than 100 people when it began to take on water
 

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Photos and videos show revellers crammed onto the ships deck in swimwearCredit: Instagram
Everyone was safely brought to shore.

Big Boss Diamond was setting sail for a daily tour when disaster struck.

The boat started taking on water in Akvaryum Bay, where rescue teams raced to help.

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Within an hour, the boat had sunk completely.

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The pirate-themed booze cruise packs revellers onboardCredit: Instagram
 

A tourist boat sinking off the Marmaris coast.
The ship sank within the hourCredit: Facebook
One Brit who was on the ship as it sank said she was “glad to be off it and alive”.

Several claimed an engine fault caused the disaster.

One passenger said that the ship’s engine caught on fire, leading to the boat taking on water.

Another claimed “the engine blew and we had to jump from one boat to another”.

A tour boat with masts partially submerged in the ocean near a rocky coastline with a floating raft in the foreground.
The wreck of the big boss pirate shipCredit: X
 

A sunken tour boat with its masts sticking out of the water, and red and white buoys floating nearby.
The boat sunk completely within the hourCredit: X
A statement from the Muğla Governorship said: “Following the report, teams dispatched to the area coordinated the evacuation of our citizens on the boat, with the support of nearby boats.

“Checks revealed no casualties, injuries, or health problems. The evacuated citizens were safely brought to shore.”

The boat operator describes Big Boss Diamond as the biggest pirate ship in Turkey, writing that “when the kids are playing in the soft play area, parents can have a party upstairs”.

It describes the pirate ship as a “family party boat”.

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One person leaps from the fast sinking shipCredit: tvnet
 

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An Instagram statement from the boat operatorCredit: Instagram
Social media posts from Friday show revellers crammed onto the ship’s deck in swimwear just hours before disaster.

The holidaymakers can be seen dancing, waving hoses and flags on the pirate-themed day out, completely unaware of what was about to happen.

The all-inclusive boat takes holidaymakers around several Turkish islands – and boasts unlimited beer, cocktails, vodka and wine for just £35.

The boat operator wrote on their Instagram story: “Dear guests and friends, thank you very much for asking and worrying about us.

“We are all safe and fine.

“Till fixed up Big Boss Diamond we will carry on our boat trips with Big Boss Yagna.”

It comes after another tourist ship smashed into a clueless couple who were smooching on a jet ski in southern Brazil.

Shocking footage showed as the boat smashed into a clueless couple who were distracted, making out on a jet ski.

The enormous boat ploughed into the pair, rudely interrupting their snogging session.

They were sat in a loving embrace on the jet ski, having stopped to enjoy a passionate kiss on the water.

But they had no idea that a large boat was heading straight for them.

The driver of the large pirate-style ship seemed not to notice the couple.

Luckily, the woman was able to leap into the water before the full impact of the tourist boat hit her.

She was dragged underwater for several seconds and received treatment for head wounds but was not seriously injured.