Kaplinsky’s girl, eight, burned in boat blast on holiday
neWSreAder natasha Kaplinsky’s eight-yearold daughter suffered severe burns when the family’s boat exploded on a Greek holiday.
The ITV presenter, 45, was also injured in the blast on Corfu – where she owns a £1.5million villa – caused by a petrol engine leak.
She, daughter Angelica and a man thought to be the girl’s grandfather, were rescued by fishermen, who then towed the boat to shore. It is understood Angelica – who bore the brunt of the blast earlier this month – was initially treated for burns to her hands and face at a hospital in Corfu Town, before the family’s insurance company arranged a private jet to fly the child back to the uK for further care.
Angelica is understood to remain in hospital, although her condition is not life-threatening. A port source said: ‘The girl suffered serious burns. Miss Kaplinsky and a man, thought to be the girl’s grandad, suffered lighter wounds.’
The Corfu Port Authority was told by the motor boat’s captain and co-owner that those on board were able to extinguish the fire. The explosion happened as the boat, called Plumbago Go, was sailing to the north of Vidos, a tiny island off the Corfu coast, which was home to a prison and detention centre until 1976.
Miss Kaplinsky, husband Justin Bower, 45, the founding partner of a private equity consultancy, their son Arlo, Angelica and two other relatives were ferried back to Corfu port by fishermen. Angelica was transferred to Corfu General hospital, while her mother and the third casualty went to a private clinic.
Plumbago, which carries the same name as the family’s fivebedroom Corfu holiday villa, was towed to the fishing village of Kouloura and transferred to the Port Authority, where was being held last week.
Local sources said it had been prohibited from sailing until the damage, which cost £350 to fix, had been repaired and the boat was issued with a certificate of seaworthiness.
The port source told The Sun
‘Triggered by a petrol leak’
on Sunday: ‘They had obviously not been taking care of the boat as a service should have prevented the problems. A petrol leak caused the engine to break down and triggered the blast.’
The star, who was made an OBe last year for services to holocaust commemoration, posted a picture of some flowers on her Instagram account with the message, ‘Thank you everyone for your kindness.’
Miss Kaplinsky won the first series of Strictly in 2004. In 2007 Channel 5 made her Britain’s highest-paid newsreader by luring her from the BBC in a £1million-a-year deal. her Corfu bolthole was bought off-plan in 2008 and features an infinity pool on the edge of a remote restored 200-year-old stone village.
The villa’s construction attracted controversy in 2011 when neighbours accused its developer of stealing the sea view ‘which we used to cherish’.
Miss Kaplinsky promised to resolve issues over the villa’s height to the couple’s satisfaction. The home can be rented through an exclusive holiday website, with prices available on application. A spokesman for the star said she and Angelica were ‘making a good recovery’.