Influencers Criticized for Taking Selfies as Yacht Sinks in Miami

Yacht Sinks off Miami Beach with 32 Aboard
Passengers Criticized for Behavior During Rescue

A luxury yacht carrying dozens of influencers sank near Miami Beach, Florida. At the time of the accident, the passengers drew criticism for appearing to enjoy the situation, taking selfies and dancing even in the midst of the emergency.

On May 4, the U.S. Southeast Coast Guard announced via X (formerly Twitter) that "around 5 p.m. on the 3rd, a report was received that a yacht about 20 meters long was sinking near Flagler Monument Island. Together with other agencies, we responded and safely rescued all 32 people on board."

American influencers are taking selfies even as the yacht is sinking. X (formerly Twitter)

In the photos released by the Coast Guard, dozens of passengers wearing life jackets can be seen waiting on the yacht as its stern sinks. One eyewitness said, "The yacht was sinking completely vertically into the water," adding, "It was a truly worrying situation."

However, on social media platforms such as Instagram and X, videos have spread showing passengers taking selfies and dancing with their phones even as the yacht was going down. In the videos, bikini-clad female influencers are seen preoccupied with gathering their expensive belongings.

One woman is seen clutching a MacBook, while Reagan Hartley, a former Miss America contestant, is holding a $350 (about 480,000 won) bottle of whiskey. Then, someone can be heard shouting, "The baby (the whiskey) is safe."

One man, as if giving instructions to the rescue operation, jokingly shouted, "Women and children first," and some women who heard this burst out laughing as if they found it amusing. Even after being rescued, some women continued to take selfies with the sinking yacht in the background.

People are waiting to be rescued on a sinking yacht near Miami Beach, USA. X (formerly Twitter)

The yacht involved in the accident is believed to be a limited edition model called the 'Tecnomar for Lamborghini 63,' created by Italian sports car manufacturer Lamborghini in collaboration with yacht company Tecnomar. The price starts at a minimum of $3.5 million (about 4.8 billion won) and can reach up to $6 million (about 8.3 billion won) depending on options.

This yacht is equipped with two 2,000-horsepower V12 engines and has a top speed of over 70 miles per hour (about 113 km/h). Its length is 63 feet (about 19 meters), and it is known to have a maximum capacity of 12 people, but at the time of the accident, 32 people were on board, exceeding the limit. While the owner of the yacht and the cause of the accident have not been disclosed, some have raised suspicions that having twice the allowed number of passengers may have contributed to the sinking.