The Daily Mail captured video of a horrifying fire on Saturday of an 88-foot luxury yacht reportedly owned by Spanish poker pro Diego Gomez Gonzalez.
It’s unclear if Gonzalez, who has nearly $500,000 in live tournament cashes according to The Hendon Mob, was onboard at the time of the incident, but reports have indicated that all 17 individuals — five crew members and 12 passengers — who were on the boat survived. Only one crew member required medical attention due to minor burns.
Video of Poker Pro’s Boat Catching Fire
Footage obtained by MailOnline shows the yacht engulfed in a massive fire, although the cause hasn’t yet been discovered or disclosed publicly. The scary situation took place at around 6 p.m. Saturday in the Mediterranean off the island of Formentera.
Nearby boaters immediately rushed to the aid of the passengers. The video also shows patrons inside a seaside restaurant watching and taking photos of the boat fire from what appears to be a couple hundred feet away from the flames.
Gonzalez’s yacht, built in 1995, can sleep 20 people comfortably and features a deck jacuzzi, luxury cabin, and provides access for various water sports. The boat is based in the island of Ibiza off the southeastern coast of Spain. The yacht is often chartered, which makes it probable that the poker player wasn’t aboard during the fiery incident. It costs over £45,000 to charter the luxury yacht during summer peak season.
Gonzalez, who hails from Madrid, is a long-time poker pro whose top live score was for $256,000 after a fifth-place finish at the 2012 European Poker Tour (EPT) Prague Main Event. He’s also racked up five World Series of Poker (WSOP) online bracelet event cashes on GGPoker in 2020 and 2021.
The poker pro earned the nickname “The Lion” upon dressing up in a lion costume during the aforementioned EPT Main Event in Prague.
*Lead image courtesy of the Daily Mail.