ITALIAN prosecutors have revealed their first key findings of the manslaughter investigation into the Bayes disaster – after a luxury yacht was branded “unsinkable”.
It sank in the early hours of Monday morning when it was caught in a storm off the northern coast of Sicily, killing seven people, including tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah.
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Chief Prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio reveals the first findings on Saturday
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The Bayesian (pictured) capsized and sank off the coast of Sicily in bad weather
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Divers spent several days recovering the bodies Credit: Vigili del Fuoco/AFP via Getty Images
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Mike Lynch, the tech tycoon who died in the sinking Credit: Yui Mok/PA Wire
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Mike’s daughter also failed to escape
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Hannah’s body was the last to be recovered on Friday as authorities now turn their attention to how the horror unfolded.
Speaking on Saturday, Termini Imerese chief prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio said investigators “can’t rule anything out at all” and that it “could be a matter of murder”.
He said: “We feel close to the families, the families have suffered this loss.
“And what would be even more painful would be if the development of the investigation showed that this tragedy, this terrible tragedy, was caused by behaviors that were not quite right given the responsibility that everyone had.
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“I would like to officially inform you that the prosecutor assumed that it could actually be a case of murder.
“But this is the beginning of the investigation… We can’t rule anything out.”
The investigation is focused on the responsibility of the crew.
Prosecutors confirmed that they “concentrated on this particular aspect”.
Investigators promise to “find out how much they (crew) knew and to what extent all people (passengers) were warned.”
It is believed that those who died were probably asleep when it overturned, meaning they could not escape in time.
Divers are searching for the last missing person after five bodies were recovered from the wreckage of the Bayesian superyacht
Prosecutors also admitted they did not measure alcohol and drugs for the crew, who survived except for one, because they were in shock.
They say that on the fateful night they will be grilled intensively.
It is unclear how a yacht the size of the Bayes – 56 meters long – capsized and sank to the seabed so quickly.
A nearby sailboat remained unscathed as the Bayesian sank to its doom, despite the “unsinkable” designation bestowed upon it by the manufacturer’s boss, Perini Navi.
Cartosio called the disaster “a very serious tragedy” and praised the divers for being “so professional and so brave”.
He said it was “clear that people were trying to hide in the cabins on the left”.
Sicilian investigators spoke to 15 survivors, including Captain James Cutfield, to get a sense of whether proper precautions were being taken amid the wild weather forecast.
New Zealand skipper Cutfield will be grilled for further questioning, prosecutors confirmed on Saturday.
Maritime experts are scratching their heads as to why the ship sank so quickly over claims that it should have weathered the storm.
Perini Navi boss Giovanni Costantino slammed the crew on board for key “mistakes” before it sank just minutes later.
Mr Costantino told The Sun: “Modern sailing ships, especially high-tech ones like the Perini, are designed to be extremely safe and stable.
It comes as…
“Even in very critical conditions, if procedures are followed, a glider like the Bayesian will return to an upright position.
“However, if the ship enters the water, that stability is threatened.
“Where the water got in, the investigators will determine.
What is certain is that the ship took on hundreds of thousands of liters of water.
The sea-sweeping tornado has been blamed for throwing Bayesian on its head, but Mr Constantino disputed claims it was not predicted and said it was “broadly predicted”.
Hannah, an 18-year-old student, died along with her tech tycoon father Mike Lynch, 59, and five others in the yacht that sank on Monday.
Hannah and Mike – dubbed Britain’s Bill Gates – went down alongside Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer, his wife Judy Bloomer, Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Ned Morvillo.
Fire chief Girolamo Bentivoglio said divers had been brought in from across Italy to retrieve the bodies, which were found in the cabins on the port side.
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He said specialist divers were forced to negotiate “very low visibility due to weather conditions”.
He added: “The yacht apparently got stuck on the starboard side and apparently (the people) tried to get to the other side and then took refuge in their cabins.
“We found four or five bodies in the port cabin, and there was another one in the third cabin on the left, and they were obviously in the higher part of the wreckage.”
An autopsy has yet to be performed, and the timelines for the investigation are unclear given that the wreckage is 50 meters below.
Cartosio revealed that the owner of the ship “Sir Robert” which was near where the Bayesian sank was a hero in saving the 15 who got out alive.
He said: “The thing we are interested in is that at 4.32am the coastguard was notified that there was a problem at sea.
“And the coast guard sent a boat and the yacht we’re talking about has already sunk.
“There were some divers that were actually taken from another boat that was 200 meters from the Bayesian.
“I think actually … the owner of that ship, managed to save most of the people that were on board.”
Expert diver Bertrand Sciboz told the BBC he was surprised by how quickly it sank, but said no vessel is unsinkable.
He said: “Investigations will find reasons that combine to create the ultimate drama.
“You can have not one fact, but many little facts, which add up to a big drama.”
The specialist diver added that recovering the wreckage would require a “very special operation” and the mast would likely have to be removed first.
He said: “They’ll have to save the ship intact, but I imagine they’ll have to take the mast down first.
“First, put the ship on the keel, then take down the mast.
Hannah’s heartbroken sister Esme paid tribute to her “best friend” after the teenager’s body was washed ashore
She said: “Hannah used to come into my bedroom and lay with me.
– Sometimes radiant with a smile, sometimes cheeky, sometimes for advice.
The Bayesian Mystery: Unanswered Questions
PROSECUTORS have confirmed they have launched a major investigation into whether the Bayesian crew followed the correct procedures before it tragically sank.
Since the investigation is ongoing now that the bodies have been recovered, these are the key points that remain shrouded in mystery.
Why did it sink while other ships weathered the storm?
The survivors were rescued by the crew of the Dutch ship Sir Robert Baden Powell, which was anchored just off the Bayesian.
The 42-metre vessel remained anchored after its captain switched on the engine, also avoiding a collision with a British-flagged vessel.
Captain Karsten Borner said the Bayesian crew were probably “surprised” by the strength of the storm.
Are proper precautions followed?
In light of the weather warnings issued by the Coast Guard, questions have been raised as to whether guests on the yacht were woken up and given life jackets.
On Saturday, prosecutors said the dead were likely asleep when the storm hit.
That meant they couldn’t escape because the ship was sinking fast, investigators believe.
Was the Bayesian properly anchored?
Dropping the anchor to 50 meters raised questions about whether the yacht should have been anchored in shallower water.
Retired Royal Navy Commander Tom Sharpe also said the Bayesian was designed for a huge sail – and if the sail wasn’t up, fierce gusts of wind would rock the ship’s aluminum mast.
He told CBC News: “My working guess is that she was probably a little further out at anchor and it’s very likely, in these conditions, that her anchor pulled.”
Are the vents left open?
If the access hatches were open before the storm, it is believed that the yacht would have quickly filled with water after heeling over, causing it to sink quickly.
An expert at the scene told Reuters that one of the first goals for investigators was to determine whether the crew had closed access hatches before the disaster struck.
With temperatures above 33 degrees, they may have been left open for air circulation.
Jefferson himself said, “I suppose all the doors were open because it was hot, so there were enough hatches and doors open that it filled with water very quickly and sank.”
How long will the investigation last?
Sicilian prosecutors will not be drawn on giving a timetable for the investigation on Saturday.
Since the wreck is located 50 meters below the surface of the sea, they warned that it will take some time.
Autopsies have also yet to be performed.
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Mike with his daughter Hannah Credit: AFP
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Rescue teams search the wreckage to find bodies Credit: AFP
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Prosecutors are investigating how the ‘unsinkable yacht’ sank so quickly
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Bayesian (left) on the image at night
Categories: Optical Illusion
Source: HIS Education