The family of a dad who died during a ‘pirate ship’ boat trip have claimed ‘unbothered’ staff then held a foam party for horrified guests.
Peter Colville, 60, was found unconscious in the sea on July 20 on a family trip to Alanya, Turkey, with 10 relatives, including his children and grandchildren.
They had set sail on ‘the world’s largest luxury pirate ship’ – a boat called the Legend Big Kral – which boasted DJs, snorkelling and a foam party.
However, the grandad from Woking, Surrey, disappeared from the water during the second swim stop of the £200 tour at Cleopatra Beach.
The property maintenance boss was found face-up and unconscious in the water before swimmers dragged him back on deck.
Guests began administering CPR on Paul, but his daughter Nakita, 27, said staff were ‘just stood there watching’ and were ‘unbothered and clueless’.
The admin assistant said: ‘When my brother-in-law came back out of the sea after swimming, he turned around when he realised my dad was no longer behind him.
‘Then we heard people yelling for help and saw my dad in the water, face up, with people trying to get him out.
‘One of the other guests began giving CPR while the crew members just stood there with their arms crossed.
‘Other guests were screaming and crying, my family was hysterical.’
Peter’s wife, Rosalind Colville, 53, collapsed in shock during the ideal.
Nakita said: ‘My sister and I were just holding my dad’s hand, screaming.
‘As far as we knew, or he knew, he was healthy – we have no idea what happened.’
A barman declared Peter dead before staff covered his body and face with a towel, she said.
The coastguard then arrived, and Peter was rushed to hospital where he was confirmed dead.
While the family, including two of his grandchildren, were taken off the boat, Nakita claims staff carried on with the party for the remaining traumatised passengers.
Peter’s horrified daughter claimed: ‘We were living the worst moments of our lives but as soon as we were taken off, the crew just apologised to guests because the foam party was delayed, I’ve been told.
‘My dad was the loveliest dad and grandad and he deserved to be treated with respect – and he wasn’t.
‘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.’
She estimated the boat was carrying more than 600 guests, but the Big Kral Legend’s Tripadvisor page claims the boat has a capacity of 1,200.
Nakita also had to phone her four brothers and their families to tell them of Peter’s death.
She said: ‘Our dad was so lovely – the best dad and grandad to all his grandchildren.
‘I keep forgetting what happened and then it hits you all over again.’
While postmortems were carried out in Turkey and the UK, neither could find a cause of death, with investigations ongoing.
Other supposed guests from the dramatic pirate tour wrote about what happened on TripAdvisor.
One said: ‘He was laid on the deck – and then nothing. No proper procedures, no clearing the deck from onlookers, no immediate CPR. A crew member looked into his eyes and declared him dead.’
Another read: ‘After the lifeguard came to take the guy away, we were simply told the emergency was over and they continued to play loud music and try to sell more photos.’
A third added: ‘The way it was handled by the crew was nothing short of horrifying. It is unsafe, unprofessional, and the crew is neither trained nor emotionally capable of handling emergencies – or tragedies.
‘A man died. And they carried on like it meant nothing.’
When approached for comment by Metro, Jamal Celentano Tour, which runs the boat tours, shared a statement that appeared to be written to Peter’s family.
It said: ‘We would like to express our deepest condolences for the loss of your father. We truly share your grief and are very sorry for what has happened.’
‘We are one of around 250 travel agencies operating in the Alanya and Side region. Yes, we also sell tickets for this boat tour, but we do not have any direct connection or operational responsibility for the vessel itself.
‘Our role is limited to passing on reservations to the boat company when our guests request this trip.
‘We also only learned about this tragic incident on the second day, and we were deeply saddened.’
The company said that accidents at sea happen every year along the Turkish coast.
‘Sometimes people may get tired, lose balance, or face sudden health issues while swimming. This is always very painful. In our belief, those who lose their lives in the sea are considered as angels,’ it added.
‘If this tragedy had been caused by an accident or negligence during the cruise itself, we would of course pursue the matter on behalf of our guests. However, since it happened during the swimming stop, there is unfortunately little we can do except offer our sympathy and support.
‘Still, if there is anything we can do to help you, please let us know. Our responsibility is not only for this boat, but to support all our guests as best we can.
‘Once again, please accept our heartfelt condolences.’
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