Sicilian prosecutors have opened an investigation into possible manslaughter charges following the sinking of a superyacht that claimed the lives of seven people.
New details revealed that passengers frantically sought air pockets to survive as the yacht went down.
LEADERSHIP reports that the tragedy unfolded early Monday when the British-flagged yacht ‘Bayesian’ sank in a storm near Palermo, Italy. Among the victims were UK tech mogul Mike Lynch, his 18-year-old daughter Hannah, four of their friends, and the yacht’s cook.
“The Public Prosecutor’s Office of Termini Imerese has registered a file with the state against unknown persons, hypothesizing the crimes of negligent shipwreck and multiple negligent manslaughter,” state prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio announced from Sicily.
“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.”
Recall that the sinking occurred during a celebration Lynch had arranged for friends and family following his recent acquittal in a high-profile U.S. fraud case. The 56-meter (185-foot) yacht was reportedly struck by a violent weather phenomenon resembling a mini-tornado while anchored off Porticello, near Palermo.
Fifteen people were rescued in the immediate aftermath, and the body of the yacht’s chef, Recaldo Thomas, was found shortly thereafter. Six others were initially reported missing.
A massive search operation ensued, with specialist divers recovering the bodies of four of Lynch’s friends on Wednesday. Lynch’s body was discovered on Thursday, followed by the tragic discovery of his daughter Hannah on Friday. Hannah, 18, had been preparing to attend Oxford University.
The victims were found in two cabins on the side of the yacht closest to the surface. Officials believe they sought refuge there in hopes of finding air pockets. Girolamo Bentivoglio Fiandra of the fire service explained, “The ship sank by its stern — the back — and came to rest on its right side on the seabed, some 50 meters down. The passengers inside took refuge to seek safety in the cabins on the left side where somehow the last air bubbles formed.”
He further detailed, “We found the first five bodies in the first cabin on the left side, and the last body in the third cabin on the left side.”
The distress signal from the Bayesian was reportedly sent out at 4:38am.local time (0238 GMT) on Monday. However, by the time the coastguard arrived, the yacht had already submerged.
Contrary to earlier reports, there was no storm warning that night. Raffaele Macauda from the Sicilian coastguard clarified, “It was a sudden and unexpected event,” while another state prosecutor, Raffaele Cammarano, echoed this sentiment.
The crew, who survived the ordeal, have been allowed to leave Sicily while the investigation is underway. Investigators are yet to determine whether the yacht’s doors were open, which could explain the rapid sinking. The full examination of the wreck could take several weeks.
Lynch, who had been dubbed the British “Bill Gates,” was the founder of the software firm Autonomy. He faced fraud charges in the United States after the company’s $11 billion sale to Hewlett-Packard in 2011 but was acquitted of all charges by a San Francisco jury in June.
The Lynch family issued a heartfelt statement after Hannah’s body was brought ashore, expressing their “unspeakable grief.” The statement read, “The Lynch family is devastated, in shock and is being comforted and supported by family and friends.”
Among the other victims were US lawyer Chris Morvillo, a partner at the prestigious law firm Clifford Chance, and his wife Neda. The bodies of Jonathan Bloomer, the chair of Morgan Stanley International, and his wife Judy, were also recovered.
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