Palermo, August 25, 2024, The Europe Today: Italian investigators have launched a formal probe into the sinking of the UK-flagged superyacht Bayesian, a 56-meter-long (184-foot) vessel that tragically went down off the coast of Sicily, resulting in the deaths of seven people. The head of the public prosecutor’s office in Palermo’s Termini Imerese, Ambrogio Cartosio, announced the investigation on Saturday, stating that while no specific individuals are currently being targeted, it is “plausible” that multiple crimes, including manslaughter and negligence, may have been committed.
The incident claimed the lives of several prominent figures, including UK tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, his 18-year-old daughter Hannah, Morgan Stanley banker Jonathan Bloomer and his wife, and the ship’s onboard cook. The Bayesian was carrying a total of 22 people, 15 of whom survived the sinking, escaping in a lifeboat.
While some experts suggest that the yacht likely sank due to a weather anomaly, such as a waterspout or a downburst, Cartosio has not ruled out the possibility of human error. He indicated that the sinking might have resulted from “behavior that was not aligned with the responsibilities that everyone needs to take while boating.”
Giovanni Costantino, CEO of the Italian Sea Group, which owns the yacht’s manufacturer, Perini, dismissed the possibility of design or construction flaws as the cause of the vessel’s rapid capsizing. Instead, he pointed to what he described as “indescribable, unreasonable errors” made by the Bayesian‘s crew.
The ship’s captain, James Cutfield, has been questioned along with other survivors and has been described as “extremely cooperative” by prosecutors. The investigation is now focusing on salvaging the wreck, which lies on the seabed at a depth of about 50 meters (164 feet), to uncover further clues.
The body of the ship’s cook was discovered near the wreck on Monday, with the remaining six bodies recovered from a single cabin on the port side of the vessel later in the week. It is speculated that those who perished may have been asleep when the yacht sank, raising questions about the crew’s efforts to alert them and facilitate their evacuation.
Despite the gravity of the incident, prosecutors have stated that those involved are free to leave Italy but are expected to remain available for further questioning. Notably, alcohol and drug testing were not conducted immediately after the incident, as survivors were initially treated for shock and injuries.
The ill-fated voyage was organized by software tycoon Mike Lynch to celebrate his acquittal in an $11 billion U.S. fraud case. Lynch, who was often referred to as the “Bill Gates of the UK,” was a prominent figure in the tech industry, having founded the software company Autonomy in 1996. He sold the company to Hewlett-Packard (HP) in 2011 for $11 billion, but the deal later became the subject of intense legal scrutiny.
Lynch had denied any wrongdoing, arguing that he was being made a scapegoat for HP’s own mismanagement. Although he avoided jail time in the U.S., Lynch still faced financial penalties from a separate civil case in London. At the time of his death, Lynch and his wife, Angela Bacares, were estimated to be worth £500 million ($655 million).
As the investigation into the Bayesian‘s sinking continues, questions remain about the circumstances leading to the tragic loss of life, with Italian authorities determined to uncover the truth behind the disaster.
