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Royal watchers remember the summer of 1997 very well because images of Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed were plastered everywhere in the British tabloids. Their final vacation aboard the private yacht, owned by the wealthy film producer, was chronicled constantly while they soaked up the sun in the Mediterranean. Now, that same yacht has also met a sad ending. 

The Cujo, bought by an Italian businessman, sank on Saturday off Beaulieu-sur-Mer in the French Riviera, according to the Independent. All seven passengers aboard the yacht were rescued, but the boat ended up at the bottom of the sea after hitting “an unidentified object.” The dramatic — and scary — photos (shown HERE) demonstrate what a true emergency this was, and everyone onboard is lucky to be alive. 

Princess Diana in St. Tropez. Photo: Michel Dufour/WireImage.

“The skipper of the Cujo issued a Mayday,” an officer told the media outlet. “His ship was sinking due to a leak. “Rescue boats were sent from Antibes, and, after making sure everyone was safe, gendarmes [French police officers] detected a significant water leak at the level of the starboard front hull. Her owner had activated the pumps and kept the engines running, but this didn’t stop the boat sinking.”

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Princess Diana and Fayed met in 1986 at one of Prince Charles’ polo matches, they reconnected 11 years later, after she was divorced. That 1997 summer was their final vacation, shortly before they were tragically killed by their drunk chauffeur in Paris during a high-speed car chase with the paparazzi. It’s just another sad chapter in the royal family history, and even decades later, the loss of the yacht just adds to that dark time.

Before you go, click here to revisit more movies about Princess Diana.

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