The sinking of the Bayesian superyacht off Sicily last Monday was sudden and unexpected, prosecutors said. British tech tycoon Mike Lynch, his 18-year-old daughter Hannah, and five others died when the yacht sank within a minute.
“It was a sudden and abrupt event,” stated Termini Imerese prosecutor Raffaele Cammarano, leading the shipwreck investigation. The passengers had no time to escape, as they were asleep in their cabins.
Lynch, 59, invited friends and family on the cruise to celebrate his legal victory. The prosecutor also mentioned uncertainty about the yacht’s black box and the status of its hatches.
File opened for manslaughter and culpable homicide
Prosecutors have opened a file against “unknown persons” for manslaughter and culpable homicide charges. Prosecutor Cammarano apologised for limited details, citing legal restrictions under Italy’s Cartabia law.
Bayesian’s captain, James Catfield, may face negligent manslaughter charges for allegedly failing to secure the yacht. An anonymous engineer from the Italian Sea Group suggested mistakes may have been made before the accident. These include the engines being off and passengers remaining in their cabins during the storm.
Victims remembered
Esme Lynch, 21, remembered her sister Hannah as “my little angel, my star.” Hannah had recently secured a place at Oxford University and was described as a model student and lover of books.
A friend of Mike Lynch called him “one of the most brilliant minds” they had encountered. Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, was among the 15 people rescued. The yacht’s name, Bayesian, was inspired by Lynch’s PhD thesis and company software.
The Lynch family expressed their devastation and thanked Italian authorities for their support. “Our thoughts are with all those affected by the tragedy,” they said. “We ask that our privacy be respected during this time of untold grief.”
Downburst could be cause of Bayesian sinking
A tornado-like waterspout was initially blamed but authorities now think a localised, very powerful extreme weather event called a downburst may have sunk the vessel.
A downburst is “a violent phenomenon with extremely strong winds across a wide area,” officials explained.
