The captain of the Bayesian is under investigation for manslaughter and shipwreck, according to judicial sources.
The official, who asked not to be named, confirmed to Reuters on Monday the earlier reports in Italian media that New Zealander James Cutfield, 51, was being investigated by Italian prosecutors after the superyacht sank in a storm off the coast of Sicily last Monday.
Magistrates spoke to the 51-year-old on Sunday for the second time in a week, the Italian daily la Repubblica reported, questioning him for more than two hours.
Speaking of the storm, Mr Catfield insisted on Tuesday: “We didn’t see it coming.”
Being placed under investigation in Italy does not imply guilt and does not mean formal charges will necessarily follow.
It comes amid tributes for the owner of the British-flagged vessel Mike Lynch, his daughter Hannah Lynch, Morgan Stanley chairman Jonathan Bloomer, his wife Judith Bloomer, Clifford Chance lawyer Christopher Morvillo and his wife Neda Morvillo, who all died in the disaster.
Sasha Murray, chief stewardess of the yacht, who is understood to have been among the 15 rescued from the boat, described Hannah as a “diamond in a sea of stars”.
Key Points
- Captain under investigation after sinking of Lynch’s yacht, judicial source says
- Timeline of the Bayesian luxury yacht disaster
- Tribute to ‘genius’ storyteller Mike Lynch
- Italian prosecutor announces manslaughter investigation over Mike Lynch yacht sinking
- Pictured: Bayesian superyacht
Prosecutors say powerful wind could have caused the Bayesian’s ‘extremely rapid’ demise
15:43
Andy Gregory
Investigators are reported to be focusing on how the 56-metre luxury yacht Bayesian – a vessel deemed “unsinkable” by its manufacturer, Italian shipyard Perini Navi – sank while a nearby sailing boat remained largely unscathed during the storm off the coast of Sicily last Monday.
Prosecutors said the event was “extremely rapid” and could have been a “downburst” – a localised, powerful wind which descends from a thunderstorm and spreads out rapidly upon hitting the ground.
Prosecutors say no suspect identified so far
15:00
Tara Cobham
On Saturday, chief prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio confirmed an investigation has been launched into the sinking of the superyacht but said a suspect has not been identified.
He said his team will consider each possible element of responsibility, including those of the captain, the crew, individuals in charge of supervision, and the yacht's manufacturer.
Five found in same cabin while Hannah Lynch found alone in another, according to reports
14:30
Tara Cobham
Five corpses were all found in the same cabin on the Bayesian while the body of Hannah Lynch was found alone in another, according to Italian officials.
The five people that rescue divers found together appeared to have gathered in the first cabin on the left of the superyacht in an attempt to escape, reported The Telegraph, while the 18-year-old was discovered in the third cabin on the left on her own.
Girolamo Bentivoglio Fiandra, a senior officer from the fire service, said on Saturday: “The yacht tended to the right and obviously the bodies tried to go to the other side and take refuge in their cabins. We found five bodies in a cabin on the left and another one in the third cabin on the left. They were in the higher part of the shipwreck.”
Prosecutors describe Bayesian sinking as ‘extremely rapid’
14:00
Tara Cobham
Prosecutors have described the sinking of the Bayesian superyacht as “extremely rapid” and suggested it could have been caused by a “downburst”.
A downburst is a localized, powerful wind that descends from a thunderstorm and spreads out rapidly upon hitting the ground.
Mike Lynch and daughter Hannah were ‘part of a united, vibrant, loving family’
13:30
Tara Cobham
Family friends of Mike and Hannah Lynch have said the father and daughter were part of a “united, vibrant, loving family” – with the teenager remembered as a “diamond in a sea of stars” and the tech mogul as a brilliant storyteller.
The pair were among seven people who died after the luxury superyacht Bayesian sank off the coast of Sicily early on Monday morning.
Mr Lynch was the creator of software giant Autonomy and had been cleared in June of carrying out a massive fraud related to its 11 billion dollar (£8.64 billion) sale to US company Hewlett Packard.
Ellie Ng reports:
Ex-court appointed guard says Mike Lynch ‘became more like a family’
13:00
Tara Cobham
A court-appointed armed guard, tasked with ensuring Mike Lynch did not abscond while facing fraud charges, has paid tribute to the tech mogul, saying the security team “became less of a detail and more like a family”.
Rolo Igno also described “the memory of a beautiful soul” in Mr Lynch’s daughter Hannah, 18, after they died in the sinking of the luxury superyacht Bayesian off the coast of Sicily early on Monday.
Mr Lynch founded software giant Autonomy in 1996, and was cleared in June of carrying out a massive fraud relating to its 11 billion dollar (£8.64 billion) sale to US company Hewlett Packard, after a trial at a federal court in San Francisco, California.
Ellie Ng reports:
Bayesian captain insisted ‘we didn’t see storm coming'
12:30
Tara Cobham
The captain of the Bayesian insisted he did not see the storm that sank the Bayesian last week.
Speaking of the storm, James Catfield, 51, said on Tuesday: “We didn’t see it coming.”
A judicial official, who asked not to be named, confirmed to Reuters on Monday the earlier reports in Italian media that the New Zealander was being investigated by Italian prosecutors after the superyacht capsized in a tornado off the coast of Sicily last Monday.
Mike Lynch had concerns over Lucy Letby conviction, says former minister
12:00
Tara Cobham
Former cabinet minister Sir David Davis has said that Mike Lynch, the tech mogul who died when his yacht sank off the coast of Sicily last week, was planning to examine the murder conviction of nurse Lucy Letby over concerns about its safety.
Sir David, the former Brexit secretary, has previously told The Independent he plans to spearhead an investigation questioning the conviction of Letby after a number of experts cast doubt over her guilt.
Sir David said he hopes to visit Letby in prison as part of an investigation into whether the serial baby killer may be the victim of a miscarriage of justice. Letby is serving 15 whole-life sentences for seven murders and eight attempted murders of babies in her care at the Countess of Chester Hospital between 2015 and 2016.
My colleague Jabed Ahmed reports:
Mike Lynch’s net worth and how the billionaire made his money
11:30
Tara Cobham
British tech tycoon Mike Lynch was among seven people who died after the luxury superyacht Bayesian sank off the coast of Sicily early on Monday morning
The 59-year-old is known for founding Invoke Capital and Autonomy Corporation and had been in the headlines after he was cleared of charges in a high-profile fraud case.
He was on the boat, named Bayesian, which sank in bad weather in the early hours of Monday near the Sicilian capital Palermo.
My colleague Barney Davis reports:
Watch: Final moments of seven who died in Bayesian tragedy revealed by fire service boss
11:00
Tara Cobham
Captain under investigation after sinking of Lynch’s yacht, judicial source says
10:00
Tara Cobham
Italian prosecutors have placed Captain James Cutfield under investigation over the deaths of Mike Lynch and six others after the British tech tycoon's superyacht sank off Sicily last week, a judicial source told Reuters.
The official, who asked not to be named, confirmed earlier reports in Italian media that New Zealander Cutfield was being investigated for manslaughter and shipwreck.
Bayesian was ‘built to go to sea in any weather’, says designer of superyacht
09:57
Tara Cobham
A nautical architect that was part of the team that designed the Bayesian has said the superyacht was “built to go to sea in any weather”.
In an interview published on Monday in the daily La Stampa, Franco Romani also said it was likely the yacht had taken on water from a side hatch that was left open.
He added that the crew underestimated the bad weather and that they should have made sure that all openings had been shut and the anchor removed before the storm hit the boat.
Who was on the Bayesian?
09:53
Tara Cobham
British technology tycoon Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah were among the people initially unaccounted for after his superyacht Bayesian sank in a storm off the coast of Sicily in the early hours of Monday.
On Saturday morning, Italian authorities announced a manslaughter investigation had been launched into the deaths of seven people, after a five-day operation that has seen divers carefully navigating their way into the cabin bedrooms.
After a decade-long legal battle which had seen him extradited to the US to face an $11bn fraud case, Mr Lynch had celebrated by inviting his close friends, colleagues and those who helped him on his legal team aboard his boat as a gesture of gratitude.
My colleagues Rachel Hagan and Jabed Ahmed report:
Superyacht captain under investigation following sinking, reports say
07:25
Maroosha Muzaffar
Italian prosecutors have officially launched an investigation into James Cutfield, the captain of a superyacht owned by British tech mogul Mike Lynch, after the vessel sank off the coast of Sicily last week, resulting in the deaths of Lynch and six others, according to Italian news reports.
A 51-year-old New Zealand national, Mr Cutfield is being investigated for manslaughter and shipwreck, the Italian newspapers La Repubblica and Corriere della Sera said.
How billionaire’s superyacht trip to celebrate end of 13 year legal battle ended in tragedy
06:28
Jabed Ahmed
Key questions for investigators of the Bayesian yacht tragedy in Sicily
05:30
Jabed Ahmed
- Why weren’t passengers who remained on board the vessel warned about escaping from the yacht?
- Why were several of the passengers in one cabin?
- Why did the boat sink?
- Why were nearby vessels not similarly affected?
- What weather warnings was the Bayesian alerted to?
- How long will it take to recover the sailing vessel?
Watch: Mike Lynch's friend mourns 'unbelievably tragic' death after fraud trial acquittal
04:36
Jabed Ahmed
Ex-court appointed guard says Mike Lynch ‘became more like a family’
03:27
Jabed Ahmed
A court-appointed armed guard, tasked with ensuring Mike Lynch did not abscond while facing fraud charges, has paid tribute to the tech mogul, saying the security team “became less of a detail and more like a family”.
Rolo Igno also described “the memory of a beautiful soul” in Mr Lynch’s daughter Hannah.
Mr Igno said he had the “privilege” of spending “almost every waking moment” with Mr Lynch while he was in custody in San Francisco, describing the detail as unlike any other he had ever worked and one that was “life changing”.
“As an executive protection agent, the number one rule is simple, don’t ever get close to the principal,” he said.
“They aren’t your friends, they’re a client and the relationship is strictly professional. But with Mike, that didn’t fly with him and for me that rule quickly dissolved.”
Watch: Moment Bayesian yacht engulfed by storm
02:35
Jabed Ahmed
Full report: Manslaughter investigation launched after Mike Lynch’s Bayesian superyacht sinks
01:35
Jabed Ahmed
A manslaughter investigation has been launched following the deaths of seven people onboard the Bayesian superyacht which sank off the coast of Sicily.
Italian public prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio, from nearby town Termini Imerese, said his office has opened an initial investigation into manslaughter and negligent shipwreck. No specific suspects have been named, so far.
Read the full report below:
Mike Lynch net worth: How the billionaire made his money
Monday 26 August 2024 00:14
Jabed Ahmed
Giant masts, moon pools and pole explorer pods: How the world of yachts got supersized
Sunday 25 August 2024 23:26
Jabed Ahmed
Tribute to ‘genius’ storyteller Mike Lynch
Sunday 25 August 2024 22:28
Jabed Ahmed
Susannah Gurdun, a close family friend of the Lynch’s from Suffolk, shared a series of heartfelt stories about Mike Lynch and who he was beyond being one of Britain’s biggest tech moguls.
Ms Gurdun told of his “thrilling ability” to explain difficult and complicated concepts in a way people could easily understand.
His wife, Angela Bacares, and his daughters were telling Ms Gurdun of his ability to “conjure beautiful stories out of thin air”.
The following evening, Mr Lynch told a story as the dinner plates were cleared about a hero, who was the same age as Ms Gurdun’s son, embarking on adventures in search of treasure. She called it “magical”.
She added that she was not surprised to learn that Hannah had begun showing “serious literary promise”.
Tributes to a ‘brave’ and ‘selfless’ friend who died on Bayesian
Sunday 25 August 2024 21:58
Jabed Ahmed
Friends of Recaldo “Rick” Thomas have paid tribute to their ‘brave’ and ‘selfless’ friend who was found in the water near the superyacht Bayesian.
“Rick could have jumped off and survived, I have no doubt about that. But he wouldn’t have left people on board and just swum away,” his friend Gareth Williams told The Sunday Times.
“I read that the first mate was quite young, Rick would have said to him, ‘Get off the boat, man, I am here, I got this.’ That’s just who he was.”
He added: “He had this infectious smile and a sultry, baritone voice. He was the type of person you could sit in a room with — no TV, no music playing, and just be. You didn’t have to say a word. You just enjoy his company.”
Who died on the Bayesian yacht?
Sunday 25 August 2024 21:28
Jabed Ahmed
British technology tycoon Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah were among the people initially unaccounted for after his superyacht Bayesian sank in a storm off the coast of Sicily in the early hours of Monday.
On Saturday morning, Italian authorities announced a manslaughter investigation had been launched into the deaths of seven people, after a five-day operation that has seen divers carefully navigating their way into the cabin bedrooms.
Mr Lynch and Hannah were among the seven people who died after the Bayesian superyacht sank near Porticello at about 5am local time on Monday.
Morgan Stanley chairman Jonathan Bloomer, his wife Judith Bloomer, Clifford Chance lawyer Christopher Morvillo and his wife Neda Morvillo also died.
Recaldo Thomas was the superyacht’s chef and the first person whose death was confirmed.
What is a downburst?
Sunday 25 August 2024 20:59
Jabed Ahmed
Officials said the superyacht had been hit by a downburst and the Italian officials said they would be looking at how it could affect one vehicle and not other nearby vessels, according to the translation of the conference.
A downburst is an intense burst of wind at ground level emenating from the strong downdraft of a thunderstorm; the wind often blows radially from a point source, as opposed to the rotating winds associated with a tornado.
Downbursts usually last just a few minutes, and can be particularly dangerous for aviation.
They have been blamed for a number of air crashes over the years, although the risk tends to be well forecast by meteorologists allowing pilots to avoid them.
NYC lawyer who died in yacht disaster wrote haunting LinkedIn post weeks before
Sunday 25 August 2024 20:29
Jabed Ahmed
Timeline of the Bayesian luxury yacht disaster: Thursday 22 August - Saturday 24 August
Sunday 25 August 2024 20:02
Jabed Ahmed
Thursday 22 August
- The search resumes for the remaining missing person.
- The body of the fifth missing person, found but not recovered the previous day, is brought to shore.
- A fire service boat with flashing blue lights returns with a blue body bag to the port of Porticello just after 8.45am local time on Thursday.
- Tributes pour in for Mr Lynch and Mr and Mrs Bloomer after they are identified as having died.
Friday 23 August
- The search continues for the final person missing from the wreck of the Bayesian, later confirmed to be 18-year-old Hannah.
- Vincenzo Zagarola, of the Italian Coastguard, says the search for Hannah has not been “easy or quick”, comparing the sunken yacht to an “18-storey building full of water”.
- A spokesperson announces on behalf of her family that they are “devastated” and “in shock” after the bodies of Hannah and her father were recovered.
- Hannah’s sister Esme pays tribute to her “little angel”.
Saturday 24 August
- A press conference is held in the court of an Italian town – Termini Imerese.
- Public prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio tells reporters that his office has opened an initial investigation against unknown persons into manslaughter and negligent shipwreck, according to a translation.
- The press conference also hears from the prosecutor in charge of the case, Raffaele Cammarano, maritime director of western Sicily Rear Admiral Raffaele Macauda, the fire brigade chief of Palermo, Bentivoglio Fiandra, and the brigade’s chief diver, Giuseppe Petrone.
Mike Lynch had concerns over Lucy Letby conviction, says former minister
Sunday 25 August 2024 19:20
Jabed Ahmed
Former cabinet minister Sir David Davis has said that Mike Lynch, the tech mogul who died when his yacht sank off the coast of Sicily, wanted to examine the murder conviction of nurse Lucy Letby over concerns about its safety.
Read the full report below:
Uncertainty over how long it will take to retrieve shipwreck, officials say
Sunday 25 August 2024 18:59
Jabed Ahmed
Key questions for investigators of the Bayesian yacht tragedy in Sicily
Sunday 25 August 2024 18:39
Jabed Ahmed
- Why weren’t passengers who remained on board the vessel warned about escaping from the yacht?
- Why were several of the passengers in one cabin?
- Why did the boat sink?
- Why were nearby vessels not similarly affected?
- What weather warnings was the Bayesian alerted to?
- How long will it take to recover the sailing vessel?
Ex-court appointed guard says Mike Lynch ‘became more like a family’
Sunday 25 August 2024 18:26
Jabed Ahmed
Watch: Mike Lynch's friend mourns 'unbelievably tragic' death after fraud trial acquittal
Sunday 25 August 2024 18:01
Jabed Ahmed
Ex-court appointed guard says Mike Lynch ‘became more like a family’
Sunday 25 August 2024 16:42
Jabed Ahmed
A court-appointed armed guard, tasked with ensuring Mike Lynch did not abscond while facing fraud charges, has paid tribute to the tech mogul, saying the security team “became less of a detail and more like a family”.
Rolo Igno also described “the memory of a beautiful soul” in Mr Lynch’s daughter Hannah.
Mr Igno said he had the “privilege” of spending “almost every waking moment” with Mr Lynch while he was in custody in San Francisco, describing the detail as unlike any other he had ever worked and one that was “life changing”.
“As an executive protection agent, the number one rule is simple, don’t ever get close to the principal,” he said.
“They aren’t your friends, they’re a client and the relationship is strictly professional. But with Mike, that didn’t fly with him and for me that rule quickly dissolved.”
Full report: Manslaughter investigation launched after Mike Lynch’s Bayesian superyacht sinks
Sunday 25 August 2024 16:19
Jabed Ahmed
Timeline of the Bayesian luxury yacht disaster in Sicily: Monday 19 - Wednesday 21 August
Sunday 25 August 2024 15:56
Jabed Ahmed
Monday 19 August
- The Bayesian yacht, flying a British flag, sinks at around 5am local time when the area was hit by a tornado.
- Fifteen people are rescued from the 55m (180ft) vessel – including a mother and baby – but another seven remain missing.
- A body, believed to be that of a chef on the boat, is later found near the wreck.
Tuesday 20 August
- The search continues for the six tourists missing.
- It is reported that among those missing are Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer; his wife, Judy Bloomer; Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo; and his wife, Neda Morvillo.
- Police divers try to reach the hull of the ship, resting at a depth of 50 metres.
- Italy’s fire brigade Vigili del Fuoco say early inspections of the wreck were “unsuccessful” because of limited access to the bridge and furniture obstructing passages.
Wednesday 21 August
- The search for the six people unaccounted for enters a third day, with crews carrying out inspections of the yacht’s internal hull.
- A team of four British inspectors from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) arrive in Porticello to look at the site of the sinking.
- Five bodies are found inside the yacht on Wednesday afternoon. Only four of them are brought to shore.
- Body bags are seen being taken to the port of Porticello in the afternoon where dozens of emergency services staff wait.
ICYMI: Prosecutor says Bayesian incident is a ‘very grave tragedy’
Sunday 25 August 2024 15:35
Jabed Ahmed
A top prosecutor in Sicily outlined the order in which the bodies of six people who had been missing following the yacht sinking were retrieved, calling the incident a “very grave tragedy”.
Public prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio said: “These six persons who tried desperately to save themselves were finally retrieved.
“First of all, four of them. Jonathan Bloomer the banker, Christopher Morvillo the lawyer, and all four of them were retrieved from inside the yacht which was 50 metres down.
“Then, later, the other two were also retrieved.
“Michael Lynch on the 23rd, yesterday, and then the 18-year-old daughter of Michael Lynch, Hannah, was found yesterday morning.
“It is a very grave tragedy and in order to reduce the dimensions of the tragedy, we have called upon the co-operation of the firefighters, firefighting divers, who have shown incredible courage and skill, who carried out a very difficult mission indeed and have allowed us to inspect properly the wreck for bodies.”
Recap: Passengers were asleep and therefore unable to escape, prosecutors say
Sunday 25 August 2024 15:16
Jabed Ahmed
The passengers who died were probably asleep, prosecutors said, and this is the reason they failed to escape.
Raffaele Cammarano, the prosecutor of the case, suggested “they were asleep whereas the others weren’t”.
He was asked if there was anyone at the time available to alert them.
Mr Cammarano said: “That is precisely what we are trying to ascertain from the statements made during the interrogation of the survivors – an essential point in the inquiry obviously.”
How billionaire’s superyacht trip to celebrate end of 13 year legal battle ended in tragedy
Sunday 25 August 2024 14:56
Jabed Ahmed
Diver describes tragic conditions aboard the Bayesian wreck
Sunday 25 August 2024 14:36
Jabed Ahmed
A diver described the emotional moment the final body was pulled from the wreckage of the Bayesian when they all stopped to applaud as Hannah Lynch made it to shore.
Inspector Vincenzo Nardoni, a diver drafted in from the fire brigade’s unit in Naples, said: “It was an emotional liberation, a relief of stress.
“Because stress is our daily bread. We work on call and in emergencies, and we intervene immediately. So stress is our baggage, is what we bring with us.”
He added “We had to revise the scene from a different angle from the way we’d normally see it, and that made everything more difficult.’
“We entered the confined spaces, having already performed evaluations on the safe point to enter inside the yacht. We found the safest spot and got inside from there.
“But inside it was a very confusing place, with wardrobes and furniture whirling all around us, and lots of mirrors reflecting back our lights at us.
“The bodies were all wedged in tight spots, with furniture on top or beside them. They were all stuck there.”
Who was on the Bayesian? How Mike Lynch’s inner circle celebrated end of billionaire’s 13 year court battle
Sunday 25 August 2024 14:18
Jabed Ahmed
Why weren’t passengers who remained on board the vessel warned about escaping from the yacht?
Sunday 25 August 2024 13:59
Jabed Ahmed
The prosecutor in charge of the case, Raffaele Cammarano, suggested that some passengers may have been asleep when others were awake.
Asked why they were not woken up or alerted, he said that is something investigators are trying to work out from the statements of the survivors.
He called it an “essential” part of the inquiry.
Watch: Final moments of seven who died in Bayesian tragedy revealed by fire service boss
Sunday 25 August 2024 13:47
Jabed Ahmed
Mike Lynch had concerns over Lucy Letby conviction, says former minister
Sunday 25 August 2024 13:35
Jabed Ahmed
Former cabinet minister Sir David Davis has said that Mike Lynch, the tech mogul who died when his yacht sank off the coast of Sicily, wanted to examine the murder conviction of nurse Lucy Letby over concerns about its safety.
Read the full report below:
Why were several of the passengers in one cabin?
Sunday 25 August 2024 13:26
Jabed Ahmed
The press conference heard several bodies onboard the sunken yacht were found in a single cabin which was not theirs.
Mr Cammarano said investigators currently do not know the reason for them being discovered in the same cabin.
The chief of the Palermo fire service, Bentivoglio Fiandra, said the yacht pinned to the right and suggested people tried to go on the other side, taking refuge in cabins in the higher part of the wreck.
Video: Italian prosecutor announces manslaughter investigation over Mike Lynch yacht sinking
Sunday 25 August 2024 13:13
Jabed Ahmed
Why did the boat sink?
Sunday 25 August 2024 12:52
Jabed Ahmed
The vessel had been deemed “unsinkable” by its manufacturer – Italian shipyard Perini Navi.
The Bayesian was hit by a downburst, according to Mr Cammarano, which are powerful winds that descend from a thunderstorm and spread out quickly once they hit the ground.
Officials will look into the safety equipment on the sunken vessel.
Mr Cammarano was asked about whether there is a black box and if the hatches were left open.
He said investigators do not have exact information about the black box and that the first phase of the inquiry will look into it.
Why were nearby vessels not similarly affected?
Sunday 25 August 2024 12:34
Jabed Ahmed
Another yacht, the Sir Robert BP, was about 150 to 200 metres from the Bayesian when extreme weather hit.
Its crew helped to rescue 15 people from the stricken vessel.
Italian officials said they would be looking at how the downburst could affect one vehicle and not other nearby vessels.
How long will it take to recover the sailing vessel?
Sunday 25 August 2024 12:17
Jabed Ahmed
Maritime director of western Sicily Rear Admiral Raffaele Macauda could not confirm how long it would take to retrieve the shipwreck of the sunken yacht.
“Everything depends on the availability of the owners and the timeframe of the retrieval of the wreck and of course all that has to be submitted to the port authorities and in parallel of course there will be the inquiry results and it’s only really then that we will be able to authorise the operation,” he said.
“I can’t say, like some experts who have already spoken on the subject, that it will be eight weeks.”
He made clear that the owners will bear the full cost of retrieval, although he could not estimate the figure.
Timeline of the Bayesian luxury yacht disaster: Thursday 22 August - Saturday 24 August
Sunday 25 August 2024 11:56
Jabed Ahmed
Thursday 22 August
- The search resumes for the remaining missing person.
- The body of the fifth missing person, found but not recovered the previous day, is brought to shore.
- A fire service boat with flashing blue lights returns with a blue body bag to the port of Porticello just after 8.45am local time on Thursday.
- Tributes pour in for Mr Lynch and Mr and Mrs Bloomer after they are identified as having died.
Friday 23 August
- The search continues for the final person missing from the wreck of the Bayesian, later confirmed to be 18-year-old Hannah.
- Vincenzo Zagarola, of the Italian Coastguard, says the search for Hannah has not been “easy or quick”, comparing the sunken yacht to an “18-storey building full of water”.
- A spokesperson announces on behalf of her family that they are “devastated” and “in shock” after the bodies of Hannah and her father were recovered.
- Hannah’s sister Esme pays tribute to her “little angel”.
Saturday 24 August
- A press conference is held in the court of an Italian town – Termini Imerese.
- Public prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio tells reporters that his office has opened an initial investigation against unknown persons into manslaughter and negligent shipwreck, according to a translation.
- The press conference also hears from the prosecutor in charge of the case, Raffaele Cammarano, maritime director of western Sicily Rear Admiral Raffaele Macauda, the fire brigade chief of Palermo, Bentivoglio Fiandra, and the brigade’s chief diver, Giuseppe Petrone.
NYC lawyer who died in yacht disaster wrote haunting LinkedIn post weeks before
Sunday 25 August 2024 11:38
Jabed Ahmed
Pictured: Bayesian superyacht
Sunday 25 August 2024 11:19
Jabed Ahmed
What is a downburst?
Sunday 25 August 2024 10:58
Jabed Ahmed
Officials said the superyacht had been hit by a downburst and the Italian officials said they would be looking at how it could affect one vehicle and not other nearby vessels, according to the translation of the conference.
A downburst is an intense burst of wind at ground level emenating from the strong downdraft of a thunderstorm; the wind often blows radially from a point source, as opposed to the rotating winds associated with a tornado.
Downbursts usually last just a few minutes, and can be particularly dangero
