The Bayesian superyacht, which sank in August 2024 and resulted in the deaths of British tech billionaire Mike Lynch, his 18-year-old daughter Hannah and five other people, did not sink due to a storm, the ongoing investigation has found.
Italian prosecutors have determined that the intensity of weather on the night the Lynch-owned vessel sank off the coast of Sicily was manageable. The vessel submerged near Palermo at around 5 a.m. on August 19, 2024.
Italian prosecutors launched an investigation into the matter.
According to Sky News, the investigation found that there was a sudden increase in wind speed, a little more than a squall which should have been easily manageable for the crew.
The investigation revealed that the vessel sank due to the crew’s “improper actions, underestimation of the weather, and not activating certain safety devices properly.”
The preliminary investigation has also raised the possibility of criminal negligence by the captain and two crew members. The possible crimes include negligent shipwreck and multiple counts of manslaughter.
An interim report published by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) last year found guests used an “improvised ladder” to try to escape after the vessel capsized.
Other victims of the ship include yacht’s chef Recaldo Thomas; Morgan Stanley International chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy Bloomer; and Mr Lynch’s lawyer, Chris Morvillo, and his wife Neda Morvillo.
