The luxury motor-yacht enjoyed by Princess Diana and her boyfriend Dodi Fayed on their final summer holiday in the South of France days before their deaths in August 1997 has sunk to the bottom of the sea. 

Cujo, once a favourite of Hollywood superstars, disappeared below the waves of the Mediterranean after hitting an unidentified object some 18 miles off Beaulieu-sur-Mer, on the French Riviera, on Saturday.

Seven people on board were rescued following the accident, but the boat ended up at a depth of almost 8,200ft (2,500m), local police said.

‘The skipper of the Cujo issued a Mayday,’ said one officer. ‘His ship was sinking due to a leak.

‘Rescue boats were sent from Antibes and, after making sure everyone was safe, gendarmes detected a significant water leak at the level of the starboard front hull.

‘Her owner had activated the pumps and kept the engines running, but this didn’t stop the boat sinking.’

Salvage launches also arrived, but could not save the boat.

All those on board, including Cujo’s Italian owner, were placed in a rescue boat, and taken back to shore without injury.

Reports about Cujo – an Indian word that means ‘Unstoppable Force’ – dominated the media in August 1997, when it was owned by Diana’s boyfriend, Dodi Fayed.

The multi-millionaire film producer had spent some £1million refitting the boat, and wooed Diana on board as the world’s media looked on.

Just days later the couple were killed in a car crash in central Paris caused by their drunk driver.

That summer, Diana was also photographed on Sokar, the yacht then owned by Dodi’s father, retail billionaire Mohamed al-Fayed, which was previously named Jonikal.

The pair were seen kissing and embracing on the deck less than a year after Diana and Prince Charles agreed their divorce. 

Diana, then 36, was spotted strutting on the deck, making the most of the Mediterranean sun and her new romance.

A snap of the royal gazing into the distance from the yacht’s diving board was one of the last pictures ever taken of Diana.

Cujo was built in Italy in 1972 for businessman John von Neumann after he told Italy’s Baglietto shipyard that he wanted the world’s fastest motor yacht.

She was fitted with two 18-cylinder engines that ensured she had a top speed of 42 knots.

Van Neumann then sold the boat to the son of Adnan Khashoggi, the world’s richest arms dealer, and he sold her on to his cousin, Dodi Fayed.

Cujo was frequently moored off St Tropez, the most famous celebrity hotspot on the Riviera, with guests including Clint Eastwood, Tony Curtis and Bruce Willis on board.

Following the death of Princes Diana and Dodi, Cujo fell into disrepair.

It was decommissioned in 1999, and spent years in storage, before being restored by new owners.

The boat was bought for a song in 2020 by luxury vehicle dealer Simon Kidston. The Mail reported that he paid just £138,000

He claimed to have bought the yacht by accident, telling the luxury magazine Robb Report:  ‘On the day of the auction, I was tied up with clients so asked a colleague to go down and take a look. I told him that if it was going cheaply, put in a bid for a bit of fun.

‘The bidding opened at just 150,000 euros [£129,500]. My colleague bid 160,000 euros.

‘Trouble was, no one else bid. The hammer went down and I had bought a boat. The feeling was a mix of excitement tinged with terror.’

He told the magazine that he sold the historic boat to a young Italian socialist in time for his birthday.

‘A young member of a prominent Italian business family – he’s 30 years old – had seen Cujo, fallen in love with her and asked if she was for sale. He took delivery just in time for his birthday.’

The final two Britons who died after a diving boat burst into flames in the Red Sea off the coast of Egypt have been named as Stephen Hill and Paul Darling.

It comes after the third British victim was identified as hospice worker Christina Quinn, 58, who spent her life working in the NHS. 

The three Britons had been inside their cabin rooms on board the medium-sized scuba diving boat, called ‘Hurricane’, when the vessel went up in flames on Sunday morning due to a suspected electrical fault.

Scuba Travel, which operates trips on the Hurricane, said the three tourists had decided to sleep in on the morning of the fire rather than go diving with the rest of 12 divers onboard, meaning they were unable to evacuate quickly.  

The tour boat company confirmed that Mr Hill and Mr Darling were victims of the tragedy, a day after St Luke’s Hospice in Plymouth paid tribute to their chief executive Ms Quinn. Her colleagues said she ‘will be missed beyond words’.

The Britons were among 15 qualified diving enthusiasts who were on board the vessel for a week-long trip when the fire broke out off the coast of Marsa Alam on Sunday morning at 8am (6.30am UK time).

Egyptian officials said at the time that 12 crew members and 12 divers were rescued, with footage showing some onboard leaping from the burning vessel and swimming towards the rescue vessel. 

Ms Quinn, Mr Hill and Mr Darling had decided to sleep in on the morning of the fire, while the other divers who were above-deck managed to escape, a spokesperson for Scuba Travel said.

In a statement released by the hospice, a spokesperson for Ms Quinn said: ‘It is with great sadness that we confirm the tragic death of Christina Quinn in Egypt. She was a sister, daughter, wife, aunty, friend, and rock to many.

‘She will be missed beyond words. We would ask for privacy at this time.’

Ms Quinn took up her role as chief executive at St Luke’s in May this year following a ‘long and impactful’ career with the NHS, most recently as director of NHS South West Leadership Academy.

Charles Hackett, chairman of St Luke’s trustees, said: ‘Christina was incredibly passionate about St Luke’s and its place at the heart of the community it serves, and we are devastated to lose her warmth, wisdom and leadership.

‘Before her recent appointment, Christina had served for six years in a voluntary capacity as chair of St Luke’s board, working closely with the senior management team and her fellow trustees and earning their respect, trust and appreciation.

‘With her vibrant and engaging personality and her down to earth, caring nature, as CEO she was quickly building strong and meaningful relationships both inside and outside the organisation.

‘We will miss Christina enormously and our hearts go out to her family and close friends at this tragic time.’

Scuba Travel confirmed that the three British tourists had chosen not to go diving that day, meaning they were unable to quickly evacuate the burning vessel. 

Investigators confirmed that the three had been found in the deck in their cabins, which sources said was next to the fuel tank, after failing to escape the intense blaze.   

A spokesperson for Scuba Travel said: ‘It is with great regret that we, as tour operator, with heavy hearts, must accept that three of our much-valued dive guests, perished in the tragic incident.

‘Our sincere and heartfelt condolences go out to their families and friends at this very sad time.’

The statement added: ‘At the time the fire broke out, 12 divers were participating in a briefing on board, while those missing had apparently decided not to dive that morning.’

Footage of the fire shared on social media shows the boat being transformed into a floating inferno as its stern was engulfed by flames.

Black smoke flumes from the rear off the boat as it travelled through the Elphinstone Reef in the Red Sea.

Terrified passengers are seen throwing themselves from the ship, which was carrying 29 people on board at the time, escaping the vessel after a suspected electrical fault in the engine room.

In total, 26 passengers were rescued, 12 British and the other 14 are thought to be Egyptian. Local police said the people rescued had no injuries and were in good health. 

Egyptian authorities had earlier said that following an initial examination of the vessel it was found that ‘an electrical short circuit in the boat’s engine room sparked the blaze’.

The British Foreign Office has been approached for comment.

Two British victims on the Egyptian dive boat that caught fire in the Red Sea had decided to sleep in on the morning fire broke out, while the other Brit who died returned to his cabin to grab personal belongings, according to a report.

Sources told Al Arabiya.net that the three missing persons, a woman and two men, were inside their rooms on the boat at the moment that the fire broke out on Sunday morning, noting that one of them left the room in an attempt to escape, but then returned.

They also added that he may have wanted to take his phone, passport or some of his personal belongings from the room but he was then unable to leave.

The sources told the media outlet that the other two, the man and the woman, hated waking up early and were asleep when the fire started because they did not take part in the diving trip. 

They also noted that their rooms were located near the fuel tank and that they may have died from suffocation or from their burns. 

Scuba Travel, the company that chartered the boat, announced that the three Brits who ‘perished in the tragic incident’ off the coast of Marsa Alam had chosen not to go diving that day, leaving them unable to evacuate the boat quickly.

Investigators combing through the wreckage confirmed today that the three victims were found below deck in their cabins after failing to escape the intense fire. 

Scuba Travel said that the three passengers were among 15 qualified diving enthusiasts who were on board the ‘Hurricane’ boat for a week-long trip when the fire broke out at around 6.30am UK time.

‘At the time the fire broke out, 12 divers were participating in a briefing on board, while those missing had apparently decided not to dive that morning,’ the company added. 

Scuba Travel said that due to the severity of the blaze, 12 divers were evacuated immediately to a nearby craft, while the 14 crew members had to abandon the ship after trying to reach the missing guests. 

Footage on social media showed the tour boat transform into a floating inferno as its stern was engulfed by flames, producing plumes of black smoke while it was off the Elphinstone Reef in the Red Sea.

A video showed terrified passengers jumping from the ship, which had 29 people on board at the time, to escape after a suspected electrical fault in the engine room.

A spokesman for Scuba Travel confirmed to MailOnline yesterday: ‘It is with great regret that we, as tour operator, with heavy hearts, must accept that three of our much-valued dive guests, perished in the tragic incident.

‘Our sincere and heartfelt condolences go out to their families and friends at this very sad time.’

In total, 26 passengers were rescued, 12 British and the other 14 are thought to be Egyptian. Local police said the people rescued had no injuries and were in good health. 

They also said the crew rescued suffered no injuries and were taken to shore in good health.

The shocked group of survivors were today being offered trauma counselling following their ordeal, which was compounded by the devastating loss of the three people with whom they bonded closely during their week together. 

The Britons have been moved to a hotel in Hurghada, 180 miles north of the tragedy, while emergency travel documents to allow them to return to the UK are arranged.

A spokesperson for Scuba Travel, Pat Adamson, said: ‘They lost everything on the boat. People will be searching under the sea, but if nothing reappears, then that’s it.

‘All of their credit cards, money, personal belongings, toothbrush, car keys, credit cards, everything gone – and their passports.

‘Their cars are at Gatwick, they don’t have their house keys.’

The group had been together for a week-long trip.

Mr Adamson added: ‘There’s a trauma counsellor with them now. Even though they’d only been together for a few days, it’s a small group and you get to know each other incredibly well.’

A full investigation is set to be carried out by local authorities to determine what caused the fire. The wrecked boat has been pictured lying on its side with smoke still billowing out of it on the shore as it cools down.

The cruiser left Port Ghalib in the eastern city of Marsa Alam on June 6 and was meant to return on Sunday.

It was said to be one of the Tornado Marine Fleet tours, which offers ‘Luxury Red Sea Liveaboards’ for just under £1,500 per trip.

A Foreign Office spokesman said on Sunday: ‘We are in contact with local authorities following an incident aboard a dive boat near Marsa Alam, and are supporting British nationals involved.’ 

MailOnline has contacted the Foreign Office for an updated comment. 

The Red Sea Governorate said: ‘The initial examination resulted in an electrical short circuit in the engine room, and the investigation authorities went to conduct an inspection and investigation.’

It added: ‘[The Secretary General] pointed out that the crew and passengers were rescued by the boat named “Blue” and returned to central Marsa Alam, and a search is still underway for three British passengers by the concerned authorities and other boats, stressing that the Ambulance Authority and the Directorate of Health Affairs have been notified to raise the level of readiness and follow-up is underway.’ 

A diving enthusiast who was on the same ship in May, said the boat was plagued with problems and no one was surprised the blaze had occurred.

He told MailOnline: ‘[We had] recurring issues from the week of May 1 and 8. There was no nitrox on board. They should have had it but they never told us. 

‘The toilets and the showers weren’t working properly.’

He added: ‘There was some issue below the decks. They were pumping something out but it was coming up my toilet. 

‘The crew work very hard – they don’t get paid a lot – but the boat has seen better days. 

‘I was in cabin six in the bow so I wouldn’t have wanted to get out from there. 

‘None of us are surprised that [the blaze] happened.’

Egypt’s Red Sea resorts harbour some of the country’s most renowned beach destinations and are popular with European holidaymakers.

The country has cemented its reputation as a dive destination with easy access to coral reefs from shores and dive sites offering diverse marine life.