Grainy CCTV footage captures the harrowing moment a powerful storm strikes the Bayesian, a luxury yacht off the coast of Italy. The tragic incident, which occurred on August 19, 2024, has left six people dead, including prominent tech magnate Mike Lynch.
In the aftermath of the catastrophic sinking of the luxury yacht Bayesian, off the coast of Sicily, Italy, investigators are now contemplating the possibility of manslaughter charges in the case, according to judicial sources who spoke to Reuters. The public prosecutor's office of Termini Imerese in Sicily is meticulously examining potential negligence on the part of the yacht's crew during the tumultuous storm that besieged the vessel while it was anchored.
Tragedy on the Seas: Luxury Yacht Sinks Off Italy, Six Lives Lost
Tragically, divers have recovered what is believed to be the body of Hannah Lynch, the final person who had been unaccounted for in this heartbreaking incident, as confirmed by the Italian Coast Guard. Hannah was the beloved daughter of Mike Lynch, a prominent British tech magnate, who was celebrating his acquittal on fraud charges with family and friends on the ill-fated vessel. His body was found on Thursday, adding to the profound sorrow surrounding this event.
The Bayesian, a 184-foot British-flagged yacht, was carrying 22 individuals – 12 passengers and 10 crew members – when it capsized and sank within minutes of being hit by a predawn storm on Monday. Fifteen people survived the harrowing ordeal, including Lynch's wife, Angela Bacares.
Tragedy on the Seas: Luxury Yacht Sinks Off Italy, Six Lives Lost
The captain of the yacht and other survivors have been extensively questioned by the Italian Coast Guard at the behest of the prosecutor's office. A press conference is scheduled for Saturday, where the prosecutor leading the investigation is expected to provide further updates. As of now, no formal charges have been filed.
Potential charges being considered include negligent shipwreck and multiple homicide, as reported by Reuters sources. Investigators are diligently working to determine why the yacht sank so rapidly.
Tragedy on the Seas: Luxury Yacht Sinks Off Italy, Six Lives Lost
Giovanni Costantino, the CEO of The Italian Sea Group, the company that constructed Lynch's yacht, has attributed the tragedy to a series of "indescribable, unreasonable errors" made by the crew, while ruling out any design or construction flaws.
"The impossible happened on that boat ... but it went down because it took on water. From where, the investigators will tell," said Costantino in an interview.
Tragedy on the Seas: Luxury Yacht Sinks Off Italy, Six Lives Lost
In addition to Lynch, other notable casualties included American lawyer Christopher Morvillo, who had defended Lynch in the fraud case, and Morgan Stanley International Chairman Jonathan Bloomer, who had testified in Lynch's defense. Morvillo's wife, Neda, and Bloomer's wife, Judy, were also among the deceased. The body of onboard chef Recaldo Thomas, an Antiguan citizen, was recovered on Monday.
A nearby sailboat heroically rescued 15 people, including a 1-year-old girl. Divers have been meticulously searching for the missing in the hull of the Bayesian, which now rests on the seabed 164 feet underwater.
Civil protection officials believe that the ship was struck by a tornado over the water, commonly known as a waterspout, around 5 a.m. Monday near the port of Porticello, where it was anchored before sinking rapidly. This tragic incident serves as a chilling reminder of the unpredictable and unforgiving nature of the sea.
