THE CAPTAIN of the doomed Bayesian superyacht, James Cutfield, was grilled by police for more than two hours as rescuers discovered a potentially fatal error on board.
Divers discovered that the keel, a key part of the ship’s structure that helps maintain balance, was raised when the yacht was anchored off the coast.
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James Cutfield captained the Bayesian
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The ‘Bayesian’ superyacht, in Palermo, Sicily, before it sank
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Divers dived into the waters near the crash site on Tuesday
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Officials pour over blueprints of the ship Credit: @/vigilidelfuoco/
Captain Cutfield (51) managed to escape from the ship that fell to the bottom of the ocean and is recovering in hospital, his brother revealed today.
Two passengers are still missing after four bodies were found inside the wreckage, with officials confirming the dead included “Britain’s Bill Gates” Mike Lynch and his daughter Hannah, 18.
This brings the death toll to five, including the yacht’s chef, Ricardo Thomas, whose body was found near the wreck on Monday.
The identity of the other two bodies found in the vessel has yet to be confirmed.
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Cutfield, from New Zealand, was one of 15 survivors from a boat that sank in a storm off the coast of Porticello, Sicily.
He admitted the crew “didn’t see it coming” when the water tornado hit the ship in the early hours.
The police, who spoke to the survivors of the tragedy, questioned him for several hours about the disaster, reports Giornale Di Sicilia.
It comes after divers discovered the ship’s keel had been raised while exploring the intact wreck at the bottom of the seabed.
The keel acts as the yacht’s main structural backbone, filled with heavy materials, keeping it balanced and helping it right itself in stormy waters.
Dan Green, head of research and exploration at eSysman SuperYachts, told The Mirror that raising the keel would damage the boat’s stability and could explain why it sank so quickly.
He said: “When the keel is down, it increases the stability of the vessel.
“When it’s raised, it reduces stability because the center of gravity is raised, because the keel is also loaded with lead.
“Another effect of having the keel in the up position is that the vessel will not right itself if it tips too far.
“If you add to that the possibility of opening the hatch on the vessel, it would explain why it is said that way [sinking] so fast.”
Cutfield captained luxury yachts for eight years and previously spent 30 years building them.
Before working for Mr. Lynch, he worked for a Turkish billionaire.
The Italian media originally called him “Catfield” – before his family corrected his name in the New Zealand press.
His wife Cristina flew to Italy with him.
It comes as…
Cutfield’s brother Mark told the NZ Herald his brother was “a very good sailor”.
And he added that Cutfield is “highly respected” in the Mediterranean.
Mark said the captain is currently recovering in hospital but managed to escape with injuries that were not “too dramatic”.
Rescuers began the third day of the search by sending an underwater robot to investigate the wreckage.
Divers are hampered by time constraints, narrow entrances and floating debris on board as they struggle to enter the cabins.
In addition to Lynch and his daughter Hannah, Jonathan and Judy Bloomer – along with Chris and Ned Morvillo – are also missing.
The 184-foot Bayesian sinker was hit by a twister-like plume of water during extreme weather early Monday morning and sank about 164 feet to the sea floor.
Fifteen people were rescued from the sinking ship and the yacht’s cook was later found dead.
It comes as officials have launched an investigation into the tragedy to determine whether the ship’s crew are criminally responsible.
One expert at the Sicily crash site told reporters that the first focus will be on whether the ship’s access hatches were closed before the tornado struck.
Luca Mercalli, president of the Italian Meteorological Society, also said that, in light of the weather warning, the crew should have woken the guests and given them life jackets.
Prosecutors will also examine whether measures such as the use of a retractable keel to the yacht, which gives extra stability and acts as a counterweight to the mainmast, were used.
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Rescuers operate an underwater robotic drone from the surfaceCredit: Guardia Costeria
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Italian emergency service this morning
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