Peter Colville was found unconscious in the water (Image: undefined)
A father tragically died during a Turkey holiday pirate ship excursion before he was allegedly covered with a towel before for an on-board foam party.
Peter Colville, 60, was enjoying a family getaway to Alanya, Turkey, with 10 relatives, including his children and grandchildren.
The group had embarked on a £200 ‘luxury pirate ship’ voyage aboard Legend Big Kral – featuring entertainment, DJs, snorkelling and a foam party, alongside roughly 600 other passengers.
However, during the second swimming break near Cleopatra Beach, property maintenance manager Peter vanished.
Shortly afterwards, swimmers discovered Peter floating face-up and unconscious in the water, hauling him onto the deck before starting CPR on July 27.
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Peter went on holiday with 10 relatives (Image: undefined)
His daughter, Nakita Colville, 27, who witnessed the horrific scene, described “unbothered and clueless” crew members who “just stood there watching”.
She revealed the barman pronounced him deceased before staff draped his body and face with a towel.
The coastguard subsequently arrived and Peter was transported to hospital where his death was officially confirmed.
Whilst the family – including two of his grandchildren – were removed from the vessel, the festivities carried on, with crew members staging a foam party for the remaining shell-shocked passengers, Nakita alleges.
Nakita, an admin assistant from Woking, Surrey, explained: “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.
The family were left distraught at the way Peter was treated (Image: undefined)
“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.
“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.
“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.”
Nakita, her daughter, parents, two sisters and their families, jetted off to Alanya on July 20.
Whilst a fellow holidaymaker performed CPR on Peter, the devastated family looked on in terror as Nakita’s mum and Peter’s wife, Rosalind Colville, 53, fainted from shock.
On-board the pirate ship (Image: undefined)
Nakita said: “My sister and I were just holding my dad’s hand, screaming.
“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 believes the vessel was transporting more than 600 passengers, but the Big Kral Legend’s Tripadvisor page states the boat has a capacity of 1,200. According to advice from the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency, all ships should conduct a risk assessment, but “as a general guide, vessels in regular operation carrying in excess of 100 persons” should have a defibrillator on board.
Peter has been remembered as ‘the best dad and grandad’ (Image: undefined)
Nakita had the heartbreaking task of informing her four brothers and their families over the phone.
She said: “Our dad was so lovely – the best dad and grandad to all his grandchildren.
“I keep forgetting what happened and then it hits you all over again.”
Autopsies were carried out in both Turkey and the UK.
Peter suddenly fell ill while swimming (Image: undefined)
Nakita revealed that neither could determine a cause of death, so investigations are still underway.
One review on Tripadvisor from the day read: “He was laid on the deck – and then nothing. No proper procedures, no clearing of onlookers, no crew member declaring him dead.”
Another stated: “After the life guard come to take the guy away we were 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.
Peter’s family say he ‘he deserved so much better’ than the treatment he received on the ship (Image: undefined)
“A man died. And they carried on like it meant nothing.”
Nakita added: “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.”
Big Kral Pirate Boats failed to respond to a request for comment.
