Luxury yacht owned by pro poker player goes up in flames: video

News

By Yaron Steinbuch

Spectacular video captured a yacht belonging to a professional poker player nicknamed “The Lion” going up in flames off a Spanish island in the Mediterranean.

Twelve passengers and five crew members escaped from the 88-foot Irmao before it was consumed by flames late Saturday while anchored in Cavall d’en Borràs, to the north of Formentera in the Balearics, according to the Times of London.

A 39-year-old Spanish crew member was treated at a local hospital for burns, according to reports.

The vessel was reportedly owned by Diego Gómez González, 34, a professional poker player known as “The Lion,” though it was unclear if he was aboard at the time.

The Spanish coast guard posted footage of the yacht being towed while on fire. It could not be saved and sank near a natural landmark called Punta de Sa Pedrera.

“Our center in the Majorcan capital Palma mobilized Acrux, which towed the yacht which was on fire, but it sank,” the coast guard said in a statement.

The blaze apparently began in the stern but spread quickly and unleashed a massive column of black smoke that was seen from the neighboring island of Ibiza 12 miles to the north.

Sources told the local Periodico de Ibiza that the yacht was available for rental from a charter company and that it would be the owner’s responsibility to remove it from the depths, according to the UK Times.

Gonzalez, of Madrid, earned his nickname after donning a lion costume to the 2012 European Poker Tour in Prague, where he came in fifth, the Sun reported.

His Ibiza-based boat boasted a jacuzzi and included waterskis, paddleboards and snorkeling equipment for its well-heeled guests.

It costs about $58,000 to charter the Irmao in peak summer season, according to the outlet.

No pollution was reported after crews inspected the area of the mishap, officials said.