British father dies on Turkish pirate-ship trip as foam party continues, family alleges staff delayed CPR
Family of Peter Colville says crew covered him with a towel and carried on with a foam party after apologising for the delay; investigations ongoing
A 60-year-old British man died during a holiday pirate-ship trip in Alanya, Turkey, on July 27 after being found unresponsive in the water during a second swim stop. His family says staff covered him with a towel and apologised to other passengers that the foam party would be delayed while rescuers tried to save him.
Peter Colville, a property maintenance boss from Woking, Surrey, was on a family vacation with ten relatives, including his children and grandchildren. The group had joined a £200 trip aboard the Legend Big Kral, a vessel marketed as a luxury pirate experience that featured entertainment, DJs, snorkelling and a foam party for about 600 guests. The boat’s capacity is disputed in postings, with TripAdvisor listing suggesting it can carry as many as 1,200.
During the voyage, the vessel stopped for a second swim at Cleopatra Beach, at which point Colville disappeared beneath the water. He was later found face-up and unconscious. Fellow swimmers began CPR as crew members stood by, according to his daughter, Nakita Colville. He was brought back on deck and transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The family says staff on board were "unbothered and clueless" as the emergency unfolded, with Nakita Colville recounting that the barman declared her father dead before staff covered him with a towel. She said the crew apologised to other guests that the foam party would be delayed, and that the remaining passengers continued with the event while her family was taken off the boat.
Postmortems were conducted in both Turkey and the United Kingdom, but family members say neither investigation has yet established a cause of death, and they described the inquiries as ongoing. Traumatised witnesses posted critical reviews on TripAdvisor, describing what they saw and questioning the handling of the incident. Some reviews urged greater training and clearer procedures for emergencies on board.
The incident has raised questions about safety standards on large, touristic vessels operating from Turkish coastlines. UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency guidance notes that vessels in regular operation carrying more than 100 persons should carry a defibrillator, and that risk assessments are a standard requirement for ships. The family noted the ship's advertised capacity and referenced what they described as a lack of on-board readiness during the crisis.
Colville’s family said their father, a loving husband and grandfather, was healthy and active prior to the trip, and they are seeking clarity on what happened and whether any lapses occurred in medical response. They emphasized that they do not intend to assign blame but wish for a thorough review of the event and safety practices for passengers on similar tours.
Big Kral Pirate Boats did not respond to a request for comment.