Princess Diana’s Former Yacht That She Vacationed on with Boyfriend Dodi Fayed Sinks in France

All seven passengers were rescued after the superyacht, dubbed Cujo, sank beneath the Mediterranean Sea on July 29

Princess Diana’s former yacht that she enjoyed her last summer vacation on before her death has sunk off the coast of France, according to The Independent.

The boat, dubbed Cujo, was frequented by the late princess and her boyfriend at the time, Dodi Fayed, in the summer of 1997 before they both died in a car crash in late August that year.

All seven passengers on board were rescued in time before the vessel sank below the Mediterranean Sea on Saturday, July 29. An officer said that the “ship was sinking due to a leak” after it allegedly hit an unidentified object on the French Riviera, The Independent reports. 

Related: All About Dodi Fayed, Princess Diana's Love Interest at the Time of Their Deaths

Gendarmerie des Alpes-Maritimes, a branch of the French military, released a statement addressing the incident on their official Facebook page. They state the Antibes Nautical Brigade first responded to a distress call at 12:30 p.m. local time for a yacht located 35 kilometers off the coast of Beaulieu-sur-Mer, France.

When they arrived at the scene 45 minutes later, the ship was already sinking and the cabins had begun to flood. The seven passengers were already transferred to a life raft and examined for injuries before being taken back to shore. 

Related: 'The Crown' 's Princess Diana Makes a Splash in a Bold Print While Filming on a Yacht in Mallorca

Princess Diana and Fayed enjoyed spending time together aboard the 20-meter superyacht that first launched in 1972, especially around the Italian Riviera, according to Boat International.

The pair first met at a polo match in 1986 in which Fayed was playing against Diana’s then-husband, Prince Charles. Diana and Fayed didn’t connect romantically until nearly 10 years later when Fayed’s father, Mohamed al Fayed, invited her and her two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, to vacation at their villa in St. Tropez, France.  

Related: Princess Diana's Fatal Mistake: Why She Left London for Paris with Dodi

Before Diana’s romance with the film producer began to develop, the Prince and Princess of Wales had finalized their divorce in August 1996. Diana announced that she agreed to her husband's request for divorce earlier that year in February.

A representative of the princess released a statement at the time: "The Princess of Wales has agreed to Prince Charles's request for a divorce. The Princess will continue to be involved in all decisions relating to the children and will remain at Kensington Palace with offices in St. James's Palace. The Princess of Wales will retain the title and be known as Diana, Princess of Wales."

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Diana died at the age of 36 after going into cardiac arrest from internal injuries she sustained during a high-speed car crash in Paris, France. Dodi and the car’s driver, Henri Paul, were killed instantly in the fatal accident.

Reports indicate the car was traveling at 121 mph in a narrow tunnel along the Seine River in an effort to escape paparazzi tailing them on motorcycles. It was also reported that Paul was legally drunk when the crash occurred.

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