A French family of four who hired a Moroccan captain to sail their Belgian registered yacht ‘Latetia Blanda’ on a blue cruise from Antalya’s Finike town along the Aegean coast have become involved in a bizzare murder case.

Apparently the family had a dispute with the Moroccan Captain, Friat Hicnan (30), after a zodiac inflatable boat was lost during the cruise. Allegedly Captain Hicnan became distressed when owner Max Bassaro (60) said that he would report the Captain to the police on their return for losing the inflatable.

A struggle ensued and it is alleged that the Captain drew a knife and stabbed the owner in the stomach and his son David Bassaro (25) in the leg. The Captain then allegedly held the owner and his wife, Marineno Bassaro (55), and her son, Sylvia Bassaro (25), hostage and attempted to sail the boat to the Greek island of Rhodes.

The family managed to surprise and overpower the Captain and tie him up and stow him below decks. The family then sailed the boat back to Fethiye Ece Saray Marina and on arrival police and an ambulance were called to the boat. While the owner and his son were taken to Fethiye Lokman Hekim Hospital for treatment to their stab wounds police searched the boat and found the Moroccan Captain dead.

The body was taken to Fethiye State Hospital Morgue for an autopsy. Max Bassaro, whose situation was critical, remained in hospital but son David Bassaro and his mother Marineno Bassaro were taken by police from the hospital into custody to be interviewed. A full-scale police investigation is being pursued.