The sinking of the Bayesian superyacht off the coast of Sicily was not caused by a storm, Italian investigators say.
Seven people died, including British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah, when the 56-metre Bayesian sank off the coast of the Italian island in August 2024.
It was originally suspected that a storm had caused the disaster, but prosecutors have now found it was not responsible for the incident, according to reports seen by Sky News.
The weather on the day of the incident amounted to “little more than a squall”, which should have been manageable for crew on the vessel, according to the findings.
Preliminary findings suggest that the vessel sank due to crew errors and an underestimation of the bad weather.
Investigators are also exploring the possibility of negligent shipwreck and multiple counts of manslaughter for the yacht’s captain and two members of the crew.
Just before dawn on August 19, 2024, the yacht was anchored off Porticello when a sudden downpour hit.
At around 3am, the vessel began dragging its anchor as the wind speeds intensified. Around an hour later, the yacht heeled over 90 degrees to starboard.
The vessel disappeared from the surface within minutes, coming to rest 50 metres down on the seabed.
The Bayesian was recovered from the sea 10 months after its sinking to allow for forensic examinations to take place.
At the time of its sinking, 22 people were on board.
An interim report into the sinking, which was released last May by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB), showed wind speeds of 63.4 knots (73.0mph) on the yacht’s beam were sufficient to tip it over, causing passengers to be thrown out into the sea.
Italian investigators and the yacht’s manufacturer, The Italian Sea Group (TISG), largely blame human error for the speed and severity of the sinking.
TISG claims the crew failed to close watertight hatches and doors, allowing a "massive entry of water" that shouldn't have happened even in a storm.
And the vessel’s 10-metre keel was reportedly in a raised position, lowering its stability.
But the captain and surviving crew maintain that it was an unpreventable meteorological phenomenon which caused the boat to sink.
