Investigators seek answers to why luxury superyacht Bayesian sank in storm
Italian and British authorities are trying to determine why a 184-foot luxury superyacht sank in a violent storm off the coast of Sicily early Monday. Divers have recovered six bodies.
According to witnesses, the sailing ship Bayesian was struck by a waterspout while at anchor. It sank quickly in 160 feet of water about half a mile off the Sicilian coast near Porticello around 5 a.m. local time.
Twelve guests and 10 crew members were aboard the ship when it sank. Fifteen people were rescued. The body of one man, the ship’s chef, was found later that day.
Names of the deceased have not been officially released by Italian police, but those aboard included British tech mogul Mike Lynch, the ship's owner, and his daughter Hannah, 18.
Mike Lynch's body has been recovered, Paste BN reported. His daughter's body was recovered early Friday.
Profile of the superyacht Bayesian
The Bayesian was built in Italy by Perini Navi and delivered in 2008. It was one of 10 models and sailed under the United Kingdom flag.
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Who was aboard the Bayesian when it sank?
With the recovery of Lynch and his daughter, a total of seven bodies were found after the sinking:
- Christopher Morvillo, an attorney from New York
- Neda Morvillo, his wife
- Jonathan Bloomer, a Morgan Stanley executive
- Judy Bloomer, his wife
- Recaldo Thomas, the ship's chef
Lynch's wife, Angela Bacares, was among those rescued.
Lynch was acquitted on fraud charges in June stemming from the sale of his tech company Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard. Prosecutors said Lynch and another executive misrepresented Autonomy revenue.
The yacht trip around southern Italy was planned as a celebration of Lynch's acquittal.
Where the yacht went down
What are investigators focusing on?
The Bayesian is the type of ship that’s “unsinkable,” says Giovanni Costantino, CEO of the Italian Sea Group, which owns the company that built the vessel, reported the Independent. Costantino said it was one of the safest boats in the world.
Italian authorities in the town of Termini Imerese Sicily, and the U.K.'s Marine Accident Investigation Branch are investigating the sinking. The ship's captain, James Cutfield, has been questioned.
Early reports said the ship's 240-foot aluminum mast had broken, but Italian divers later said the vessel was intact, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Investigators will try to determine whether the ship's crew followed safety procedures, which include closing portholes and hatches ahead of the storm's arrival.
Contributing: Christopher Cann and Cybele Mayes-Osterman
Source: Paste BN Network reporting and research; Reuters; boatinternational.com; marinetraffic.com