Ambrogio Cartosio ‘absolutely not ruling anything out’ as he opens inquiry into deaths of seven people in sinking
The sinking of the superyacht Bayesian off the coast of Sicily that led to the deaths of seven people could be the result of human error, Italian prosecutors have suggested.
The Bayesian, carrying 22 passengers, sank off the coast of Sicily early on Monday morning after being struck by a powerful type of wind called a downburst.
Seven people died, including the British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah. Fifteen people survived, including Lynch’s wife, whose company owned the Bayesian, and the yacht’s captain..
Ambrogio Cartosio, the head of the prosecutor’s office in Termini Imerese, said in a press conference at the town’s court on Saturday that his office has opened an initial investigation into manslaughter and negligent shipwreck.
“This tragedy would be even more heart-wrenching if our investigations were to prove that the sinking of the vessel was caused by actions not in accordance with the maritime code,” Cartosio said.
“We are only in the initial phase of the investigations … At this stage, precisely because the investigation could develop in any way, we are absolutely not ruling anything out,” Cartosio said, adding that the investigation was not aimed at any single person.
“For me, it is probable that offences were committed, that it could be a case of manslaughter, but we can only establish that if you give us the time to investigate,” he said, according to a BBC translation.
During the briefing, Bentivoglio Fiandra from the local fire rescue service, said “the bodies were found in the highest part of the ship, as it was clear people were trying to hide in cabins on the left-hand side”. The ship landed on its right-hand side after it sank.
“The first five bodies were found in the first cabin on left-hand side and the final body was found in the third cabin,” Fiandra said.
Italian officials said it would be difficult to fully investigate the sinking if the wreck is not recovered.
Fiandra said 123 dives were conducted by 30 divers for a total of 4,370 minutes.
The prosecutor in charge of the case, Raffaele Cammarano, said the yacht had been hit by a downburst, which are powerful winds that descend from a thunderstorm and spread out quickly once they hit the ground.
Experts are baffled by how the Bayesian sank within 60 seconds. Italian media, speaking with coastguard sources, reported that a hatch allegedly remained opened and that the keel was partially raised, leading to the vessel sinking rapidly.
Investigators declined to respond to a question about the hatch, stating that it would be premature to answer before the vessel had been recovered.
Pulling the Bayesian out of the sea may help investigators determine what happened, but the operation is likely to be complex and costly. The wreck is lying apparently intact on its side at a depth of 50 metres (164ft).
“It’s in the interests of the owners and managers of the ship to salvage it,” Cartosio said, adding “they have assured their full cooperation”.
Officials suggested that passengers who died were probably “asleep whereas the others who survived weren’t”.
Search efforts began immediately, with divers from the fire brigade working non-stop. Recovering the bodies was not simple.
The first body to be recovered was that of chef Recaldo Thomas on Monday afternoon. Four more bodies were recovered on Wednesday morning, those of Lynch’s attorney from Clifford Chance, Chris Morvillo, and Morgan Stanley International’s chair, Jonathan Bloomer, along with their respective spouses, Neda and Judy.
Mike Lynch’s body was found in the evening and his death was confirmed on Thursday. On Friday divers retrieved the body of his daughter, Hannah.
Once described as Britain’s Bill Gates, Lynch was beginning a new life, after being cleared in June of fraud charges in the US relating to the purchase of his company, Autonomy, by Hewlett-Packard in 2011. The tycoon opted to celebrate in style in Italy alongside his family. They were enjoying a lavish voyage around Sicily onboard the Bayesian, a magnificent 56-metre (184ft) yacht.
Prosecutors said the captain of the Bayesian, James Cutfield, 51, from New Zealand, would undergo more questioning, adding that he had been “extremely cooperative”.
Magistrates said British and American authorities were involved in the investigation.
The British ambassador to Italy, Ed Llewellyn, published a post on X on Saturday, thanking the Italian rescue teams and divers.
“I express my deep gratitude to the Italian authorities, rescue teams and divers for working tirelessly following the sinking of the Bayesian,” Llewellyn said.
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