Benalmádena's Mississippi steamboat starts to sink

The rough sea claimed another victim, this week, the old steamboat moored in Benalmádena marina, which had partially sunk by Thursday.

With the help of divers, the Willow was stabilised to prevent it tipping over until further measures could be taken.

The Willow, which has been moored in Benalmádena for decades, was built at the beginning of the last century to sail on the Mississippi. After being brought to Benalmádena it was used for some time as a floating nightclub, as well as a restaurant and even a secret brothel.

The authorities have said that the boat no longer has any fuel or machinery onboard but in any case the port has been asked to put up an anti-pollution barrier as a precaution.

The Willow has been in disuse for some time and the town hall had reached an agreement with the owner to pay the debt run up for its berth in the port in installments. The local authorities and the owner had previously been advised of the boat's poor state of repair in recent months due to a lack of maintenance.

The Willow, which was refurbished in Liverpool before coming to the Costa, is one of the few Mississippi steam boats to be found in European ports.