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Luxury yacht destroyed historic aircraft wreck
The 'Orient Express Corinthian' has been blamed for destroying a well-preserved Second World War aircraft wreck off Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer, prompting an investigation and calls for better protection of underwater heritage. The wreck has been largely destroyed after being struck by the anchor of the luxury sailing yacht, according to local divers and the French Maritime Prefecture. The Lockheed P-38 Lightning, shot down by German forces in 1944, lay 38 metres below the surface in Les Lecques Bay and was considered one of the best-preserved dive sites in the region. Members of the Lecques Aquanaut Center, who discovered the wreck in 1996, found it reduced to twisted metal scattered across the seabed when they visited the site on July 17, 2026. The Maritime Prefecture confirmed that the damage was caused by the luxury sailing yacht, which had anchored directly above the wreck on July 16 in an area where anchoring was permitted, although divers said the historic site should have been better protected. The P-38 had become both a popular attraction for divers and an important marine habitat, home to species including lobsters and red mullet. Local diving clubs said that its destruction represented a significant loss for both underwater heritage and the local tourism industry. Following the incident, the French Maritime Prefecture has temporarily banned diving and anchoring around the site while specialists assessed the damage. Legal action could also follow over the destruction of a cultural heritage site.
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