VIDEO: 7 rescued as $8.5m superyacht suffers malfunction in large waves

Seven people have been rescued after the 43-metre Benetti superyacht Domani suffered a malfunction off the coast of Grays Harbor, Washington.

The US Coast Guard has released dramatic footage of the US$8.5m yacht rolling violently and being pummeled by large waves, 25 miles off the Pacific Coast.

The crew made a distress call after they realised they could not close the transom door, and the beach club started taking on water. According to the Coast Guard, the crew also switched on the fire suppression system after spotting smoke, which resulted in a loss of power and light, leaving the yacht floundering in large swell.

Coast Guard crews rescued the seven people aboard, and no injuries or pollution concerns were reported. It is currently unknown why the transom door failed.

Image courtesy of US Coast Guard

The US Coast Guard’s vessel Cutter Active towed the vessel to the entrance of the Strait of Juan de Fuca for ten hours. She was then handed to a commercial towing agency and is currently undergoing repairs in Port Angeles.

Domani was reportedly sold in April 2021, with a last known asking price of US$8.5m. The motoryacht, which was launched in 2004 and has previously been used as a charter vessel, can accommodate up to 12 guests in five bedrooms and has a crew of nine.