The Sinking Of British Tech Mogul's Superyacht
The body of British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch has been recovered from the wreckage of the sunken Bayesian superyacht, an Italian interior ministry official, Massimo Mariani, informed Reuters on Thursday. However, Lynch's 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, remains missing, and divers continue to search the area where the vessel went down.
The British-flagged yacht, carrying 22 passengers and crew, rapidly sank after its towering mast, one of the tallest in the world, snapped in half during a violent storm. Fifteen people were rescued on Monday, with one body initially recovered—believed to be that of onboard chef Recaldo Thomas. Six others were initially reported missing.
As investigators delve into the causes of the disaster, the CEO of the company that owns the yacht's manufacturer pointed to a series of avoidable "mistakes" that may have contributed to the tragedy.
Once the crew became aware of the impending storm, they should have secured the hull, closed all doors and hatches, and gathered all guests in the ship's assembly point, Giovanni Costantino, CEO of The Italian Sea Group, told the Italian newspaper *Corriere della Sera*.
"Instead, the yacht took on water while the guests were still in their cabins. With just a 40-degree tilt, those in the cabins found themselves with the door above them. Can you imagine a 60- or 70-year-old trying to climb out?" Costantino said.
In a separate interview with Sky News, Costantino emphasized that yachts like the Bayesian are "safest in the most absolute sense" and should have been "unsinkable."
"First of all, because they have very little surface exposed compared to a yacht facing into the wind. Second, with the structure of the drift keel, they become unsinkable bodies," he explained.
Costantino expressed his "sadness and disbelief" upon learning that the Bayesian—built in 2008 by the Italian company Perini Navi, which was acquired by The Italian Sea Group in 2021—had sunk early Monday.
The six missing individuals include Lynch and his daughter; Morgan Stanley International director Jonathan Bloomer and his wife, Judy Bloomer; and prominent American lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife, Neda Morvillo.
Italian authorities have not yet disclosed the names of all those whose bodies have been recovered, likely because, in Italy, a close relative must formally identify the body before a coroner or the prosecutor's office confirms the identity. Given that the sinking of the Bayesian is under criminal investigation, formal identifications will likely be made by the prosecutor's office.
Since the yacht sank, emergency crews have faced challenging conditions to access the wreck, which lies about 50 meters (approximately 150 feet) underwater. Divers have only around 12 minutes to reach and explore the site before having to resurface.
Initial reports suggest that a small waterspout, which developed over the area off Sicily on Monday morning, may have caused the yacht to sink.
Four days after the incident, Italian authorities are still working to understand how the 56-meter (184-foot) yacht sank so rapidly. The United Kingdom's Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has also launched an investigation, announcing on Wednesday that it would deploy a team of four inspectors to Palermo to conduct a preliminary assessment of the scene.
Waterspouts, a type of tornado, are spinning columns of air that form over water or move from land to water. They are often accompanied by high winds, rough seas, hail, and dangerous lightning. Although most common over tropical oceans, waterspouts can form almost anywhere. However, they are rare in Sicily.
Costantino emphasized that there was no evidence suggesting that the design or construction of the yacht was at fault in its sinking. "This episode seems like an unbelievable story, both technically and factually," he said.
Unverified security camera footage released on Wednesday appears to show the moment the tornado struck the yacht. As rain poured down on the port, a grainy video shows the vessel being battered by the storm, rocking violently before capsizing.
One witness, the owner of a villa overlooking the area where the Bayesian was anchored, said that after hearing about the sinking, he reviewed his CCTV footage and saw the yacht go down.
"In just 60 seconds, you can see the ship disappear," he told the Italian outlet ANSA. "You can clearly see what’s happening. There was nothing that could be done for the vessel. It disappeared in a very short time."
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