Seven people have died in the Bayesian sinking disaster. These include the six missing people who were inside the yacht when it sank, as well as a seventh person who was located shortly after the disaster. The seventh person is understood to be the yacht's chef, Recaldo Thomas. The other six are:
- British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, once dubbed 'Britain's Bill Gates'
- Lynch's 18-year-old daughter, Hannah
- Morgan Stanley's chairman, Jonathan Bloomer
- Judy Bloomer, wife of Morgan Stanley chairman
- Chris Morvillo, a lawyer working for London-based law firm Clifford Chance
- Neda Morvillo, an American jewellery designer and Chris' wife
It is understood that the yacht was being used to celebrate Lynch's recent victory in a 13-year £8 billion fraud acquittal.
No one remembers the mast snapping before 56m superyacht Bayesian sunk, says crew
No one recalls seeing the mast snap on board the 56-metre Perini Navi sailing yacht Bayesian which sank off the Italian island of Sicily on 19 August. The eyewitness account of a crewmember on board the vessel, which was obtained by BOAT International, said that the boat was struck by a freak weather event which led to the yacht heeling at around 20 degrees to starboard. As crewmembers were securing items, the heeling angle began to increase rapidly until the yacht started taking on water and sank rapidly.
The crewmembers who were up on deck were able to evacuate the yacht with minor injuries. The yacht is understood to have sunk in just twelve minutes, and it is believed that a "major ingress" of water from the top down would have caused the sinking, according to a captain who wishes to remain anonymous. This is based on the fact that no breaches have been reported in the yacht's hull, and the fact that the yacht should have been able to remain afloat with two flooded compartments.
"Very difficult to understand what could have overwhelmed a vessel of that size" says captain of sistership
The captain of the sistership to the sunken 56-metre Perini Navi sailing yacht Bayesian has said it is "very difficult to understand what could have overwhelmed a vessel of that size" and called the 56-metre Perini Navi series "bulletproof".
David Hutchinson, captain of Rosehearty, said he had taken the yacht around the world multiple times and he had "total faith in the boat". "We've been to Antarctica and Chile, and we've had her in 70 knots of wind," he says, and the vessel had never put them in a situation that felt unmanageable.
However, Hutchinson noted there were differences between Bayesian and Rosehearty; notably, Bayesian's 74-metre mast, which would have been heavier and added increased windage. The yacht's layout was also different, with guest accommodation on Bayesian located further forward.
Live updates
- During a news conference on Saturday morning (24 August), prosecutors confirmed they are in the early stages of investigating a "crime hypothesis" of culpable shipwreck and manslaughter. Authorities also said the yacht likely sunk because of a downburst (powerful wind that descends from a thunderstorm), rather than a waterspout.
- A search and rescue for six missing people has concluded. The final missing person is understood to be Hannah Lynch.
- According to Reuters, six bodies have now been found in the sunken yacht. These include Mike Lynch, a British technology entrepreneur who co-founded Autonomy Corporation and founded Invoke Capital, although Italian authorities have not confirmed this.
- One person was found immediately after the yacht sunk, and this is understood to be the yacht's chef.
- Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, and a one-year-old are among the fifteen people rescued along with Bayesian's captain, James Cutfield.
- Another sailing vessel in the area, the 42-metre Sir Robert Baden Powell, stepped in to offer assistance in the initial rescue.
- Divers have been able to reach Bayesian's sunken hull, which lies at 45 metres of depth about half a mile from the coast. The yacht had the largest aluminium masts of any sailing yacht on the water.
- Eyewitnesses in the area reported "hurricane" conditions off the coast but local weather websites did not indicate any severe squall, which suggests that the weather event was not forecast.
- At around 5am local time on 19 August, Bayesian was hit by bad weather and sunk. The sailing yacht was anchored or idle at the time of the incident.
Built in Italy by renowned builder Perini Navi and delivered in 2008, the yacht's naval architecture was developed by Ron Holland Design while the interior design is by Rémi Tessier. She was formerly known as Salute and was last refitted in 2016. She was listed for sale earlier this year, according to BOATPro. The yacht had accommodation for nine guests and 12 crew.
BOAT International will update the story as it develops.