THE daughter of a British dad who drowned on a “luxury pirate” boat trip in Turkey has claimed callous crew apologised to holidaymakers – because his death delayed the on-board foam party.
Peter Colville, 60, from Woking, Surrey, was on the £200 Legend Big Kral ship with ten relatives, including his children and grandchildren, when he vanished during a swim stop off Cleopatra Beach.
Peter Colville,60, from Woking, Surrey, was on the £200 Legend Big Kral ship with ten relatives[/caption]
There are claims that the callous crew apologised to holidaymakers – because his death delayed the on-board foam party[/caption]
Staff on board were more concerned about resuming the party than comforting the family[/caption]
Moments later, the dad-of-five was dragged from the water unconscious – but as desperate tourists fought to save him, his family say staff “just stood there watching”.
Heartbroken daughter Nakita, 27, told how the barman bizarrely declared her father dead before covering his body with a towel.
Nakita said: “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.”
Instead of comforting grieving relatives – including two young grandchildren – she claims staff were more concerned about resuming the party.
The admin assistant added: “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.”
Cruel Tripadvisor reviews from fellow passengers back up the family’s claims.
One wrote: “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 blasted: “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.”
Fighting back tears, Nakita said: “I saw it happen but somehow it still feels like he’ll walk back through the door any minute now.
“All we know is that he deserved so much better than what he got on that boat.”
One Facebook user commented on his daughters post: “We will get answers for you and for dad’s sake”
Peter, a property maintenance boss, had been enjoying the July 27 trip with around 600 others on board.
The vessel boasts DJs, snorkelling and live entertainment, and is advertised online with a 1,200-passenger capacity.
But when tragedy struck, witnesses say staff failed to act.
Nakita recalled: “When my brother-in-law came back out 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.”
As her father lay dying, Nakita’s mum Rosalind, 53, collapsed from shock. “My sister and I were just holding my dad’s hand, screaming,” she said.
Coastguards eventually rushed Peter to hospital, but he was later confirmed dead.
Postmortems in Turkey and the UK failed to establish a cause, with investigations ongoing.
Nakita said: “As far as we knew, or he knew, he was healthy – we have no idea what happened.
“He was smart – if he had been, or felt, unwell, he wouldn’t have got in the water.”
Nakita added on a Facebook post: “I’m not asking people to never go on a boat trip or to never go to Turkey, just ask that you be very aware of the risks you may face during these excursions and how you may be treated afterwards”
Big Kral Pirate Boats did not respond to requested comments.
Trip advisor reviews claim there was “o proper procedures, no clearing the deck from onlookers, no immediate CPR.”[/caption]
Coastguards eventually rushed Peter to hospital, but he was later confirmed dead[/caption]
Postmortems in Turkey and the UK failed to establish a cause, with investigations ongoing[/caption]
