After 19 days of intensive search efforts, the relevant Turkish authorities located the body of businessman Halit Yukay at a depth of 68 meters. His boat had been found half-sunken and damaged off Artaki, in the Sea of Marmara.

The ordeal began on August 4, when Halit Yukay departed alone from Yalova on his vessel, Graywolf, bound for Mykonos. Later that same day, at 15:10, his family reported him missing to the authorities. On August 5, around 14:30, a commercial ship near Turankioi reported that parts of the boat were floating partially submerged in the sea.

Yalova'da'da Bozcaada'ya gitmek üzere denize açıldığı tekknesi, parçalanmış ve yarı batık halde bulunan kayıp iş insanı #HalitYukay’ı arama çalışmalarının 19'uncu gününde cansız bedeni kazanın olduğu bölge olarak değerlendirilen bölgeden 68 metre derinlikte bulundu. pic.twitter.com/Q36l0VR84i

— NOW HABER (@nowhaber) August 23, 2025

From that moment, a large-scale operation began, involving forces from the Southern Marmara Coast Guard, the General Directorate of Coastal Security, and specialized marine police units from Samsun, the Dardanelles, Izmir, and Yalova. The search continued uninterrupted for more than two weeks.

“On the 19th day of the search for the missing businessman Halit Yukay, whose boat set out from Yalova to Bozcaada and was found partially submerged and broken, his lifeless body was located at a depth of 68 meters in the area where the accident occurred.” — NOW HABER, August 23, 2025

Finally, divers located the body of the unfortunate businessman two days ago at a depth of 68 meters, at the site where his boat had been found. The location was identified using a specialized Coast Guard sonar device, and confirmation came from an underwater robot (ROV), which captured images of both the body and parts of the engine and hull.

The recovery of the body is planned using a specialized lifting system to safely retrieve it from the seabed without causing further damage. Military divers are coordinating the operation, which is expected to be completed within the next few hours.

“Halit Yukay, whose lifeless body was found 20 days later, was located at the site where the boat went missing.” — Ekol TV

Cansız bedenine 20 gün sonra ulaşılan Halit Yukay teknenin kaybolduğu yerde bulundu. (Ekol TV) pic.twitter.com/yqr4150JIH

— Mügedagistanliofficial (@muge_dag70) August 23, 2025

Who Was Turkish Businessman Halit Yukay

Born in 1982, Halit Yukay was the owner of Mazu Yachts, a company that builds luxury yachts.

He began his career working in shipyards and dreamed of starting his own company, a goal he achieved in 2011 with Mazu Yachts, which became well-known in Turkey for its innovative designs and technologies.

In recent years, his company produced several yacht series, from the Mazu 82, measuring 24.9 meters, to its flagship, the 132 DS, which is 40.2 meters long.