Watch: Superyacht Ethos sinks off Greek island after crew member forgot to close door

Ethos taking on water off the Greek island of Kefalonia.

A superyacht floating near a Greek island began sinking after a crew member reportedly forgot to close a hatch.

The 48m motor yacht Ethos, which costs more than $382,000 a week to rent in high season, was seen tilting alarmingly to starboard as water gushed in while it cruised off Kefalonia.

One of the crew of the Ethos, which comes with a hot tub, a sauna, a gym and a jet ski, had left a side door open, which enabled a large volume of water to enter the boat before anyone noticed, according to the Greek newspaper Protothema.

The skipper managed to coax the vessel to shore and it ran aground in Evreti Bay on the eastern side of the island, where it remains anchored.

Five crew members and five guests disembarked safely after the expensive mishap.

Efforts to pump out the seawater are under way, according to Greek media, with divers inspecting the damage.

Built a decade ago and flying under a Maltese flag, the superyacht has five large cabins and can comfortably accommodate up to 12 guests. The cabins range from a master suite to VIP suites and two staterooms.

The vessel spends both the summer and winter seasons cruising Greek waters.

Originally delivered in 2014, Boat International reports that Ethos was recently refitted in Greece by Njord Bergman Design House with locally sourced material and finishes, including elements crafted by “Greek artisans”.

Designers boasted that, following its refurbishment, Ethos was now “steeped in the timeless elegance, natural allure, and cultural richness of the Greek Islands”.

Kefalonia is best known as the setting for Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, the popular novel by Louis de Bernieres, the British author, about a romance that develops between an Italian officer and a local woman during the Italian occupation on the island in World War II.

- Additional reporting, NZ Herald