A manslaughter investigation has been launched over the deaths of seven people following the sinking of a luxury yacht off the coast of Sicily.
British tech mogul Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah were among those who died after the Bayesian superyacht sank near Porticello at about 5am local time on Monday.
Five of the bodies onboard the sunken yacht were found in a single cabin which “was not theirs”, prosecutor Raffaele Cammarano revealed at a press conference in nearby town Termini Imerese on Saturday.
He told journalists the Italian Air Force had said the sinking was most likely caused by a downburst a localised, powerful wind that descended from a thunderstorm and spread out rapidly upon hitting the ground.
Ambrogio Cartosio, chief prosecutor of Termini Imeres, said officials will examine whether the captain, crew, individuals in charge of supervision, the ship-builder, or others could bear responsibility over the deaths.
Meanwhile, more tributes have come in for those who died, including for Mr Lynch’s daughter Hannah. Chief stewardess of the Bayesian, Sasha Murray, described the teenager as a “diamond in the sea of stars”.
Hannah’s sister, Esme, said she was “the most amazing, supportive and joyful sister”.
Key Points
- Prosecutor says likely Bayesian victims tried to escape sinking superyacht
- A manslaughter investigation has been opened into the deaths
- Key takeaways from the press conference
- Five bodies were found in same cabin, prosecution says
- A complex salvage operation underway after ‘indescribable, unreasonable errors’
Lynch’s pay tribute to father and daughter lost on Bayesian
23:02
Barney Davis
Hannah Lynch’s sister Esme described her as “the most amazing, supportive and joyful sister”.
Paying tribute, she said: “Hannah often burst into my bedroom and lay down with me. Sometimes beaming with a smile, sometimes cheeky, sometimes for advice. No matter what, she brought boundless love to me.
“She was endlessly caring, passionately mad, unintentionally hilarious and the most amazing, supportive and joyful sister and best friend to me.
“And on top of all this, she had even more love to give endlessly to all her friends, and passion to give to her incredible studies and goals.
“She is my little angel, my star.”
A spokesperson for the Lynch family said: “The Lynch family is devastated, in shock and is being comforted and supported by family and friends.
“Their thoughts are with everyone affected by the tragedy.
“They would like to sincerely thank the Italian coastguard, emergency services and all those who helped in the rescue.
“Their one request now is that their privacy be respected at this time of unspeakable grief.”
Diver describes tragic conditions aboard the Bayesian wreck
22:10
Barney Davis
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.”
Recap: Bayesian crew allowed to leave Sicily
21:10
Barney Davis
Chief prosecutor of Termini Imerese, Ambrogio Cartosio, said his office has opened an initial investigation into manslaughter and negligent shipwreck at a press conference.
Asked whether the crew will remain in Sicily, Mr Cartosio said: “There’s no obligation, but they should be available for the investigation.”
Authroties still have questions to ask the captain but that they cannot keep people in the country under Italian law.
Raffaele Cammarano added his officials were going to give the crew alcohol and drug testing.
He stressed no individuals were yet under investigation.
Mike Lynch net worth: How the billionaire made his money
20:30
Barney Davis
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.
But how did the “British Bill Gates” earn his fortune?
Final moments of Bayesian victims revealed
19:53
Barney Davis
The final moments of the remaining victims of the Bayesian disaster have been revealed in a press conference earlier today.
Local prosecutor Raffaele Cammarano said the meteorological event that hit the vessel was most likely a “downburst”, a very strong downward wind that is an intense but relatively frequent event at sea, rather than a water spout which involves rotating winds like a whirlwind or tornado.
He said that the passengers were all probably asleep at the time of the storm which was why they failed to escape.
Bentivoglio Fiandra, chief of Palermo’s fire brigade and part of the divers’ rescue team, explained that the Bayesian sank stern-first and then rolled onto its right side.
“As a result, the victims sought refuge on the left side of the boat, where the last air pockets remained as the vessel was sinking,” he said.
The divers found five bodies in the first cabin on the left and one, Hannah Lynch’s, in the third cabin on the left.
The sinking has puzzled naval marine experts who say a boat like the Bayesian, built by Italian high-end yacht manufacturer Perini, should have withstood the storm and in any case should not have sunk as quickly as it did.
Inspector Vincenzo Nardoni, a diver drafted in from the fire brigade’s unit in Naples: “The bodies were all wedged in tight spots, with furniture on top or beside them. They were all stuck there.”
Prosecutor says likely Bayesian victims tried to escape sinking superyacht
19:30
Barney Davis
According to the Telegraph, Raffaele Cammarano, one of two prosecutors leading the case, told a press conference earlier: “There can be no certainty about the behaviour of the passengers on board, at the moment.
“It is probable they tried to escape but we have no real details about that, that will emerge in the course of the inquiry.”
Manslaughter investigation launched after Mike Lynch’s Bayesian superyacht sinks
18:47
Barney Davis
A manslaughter investigation has been launched following the death 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.
British technology entrepreneur Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah were among those who died after the yacht sank near Porticello around 5am local time on Monday.
My colleague Jabed Ahmed reports:
Tribute to ‘genius’ storyteller Mike Lynch
18:30
Barney Davis
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”.
“It is beyond tragic that we will never know where her own particular brilliance might have led… but I still feel blessed to have shared that time with them in Spain,” she said.
“Not just because I witnessed Mike’s incredible storytelling; but because I was given a chance of understanding what that moment said about all four of them as a united vibrant loving family.
“To those of us who knew him in that way, this family achievement – in partnership with Angela – was every bit as special and beautiful as the ones he pulled off in the world of tech and science.
“Perhaps even more so – in that he did it all simultaneously.
“He was an extraordinary human being and it was – truly – a privilege to have known him.”
Tragic Hannah said she would save parents if they ever got in trouble swimming
18:01
Barney Davis
The chief stewardess of the tragic Beysian superyacht, has paid tribute to Hannah Lynch, 18, after her body was recovered from the wreck.
Sasha Murray, released a statement, saying: “Those who knew her will know that Hannah was a diamond in a sea of stars. Bright, beautiful and always shining.
“What most people may not have seen was the extraordinarily strong, deep and loving relationship she shared with her parents, whom she adored more than anything.
“While swimming with them she often said, if anything ever happened she would save them. I have no doubt that the Irish, Latina fire that burns in her soul kept that spirited determination alive.”
Timeline of the Bayesian luxury yacht disaster in Sicily: Monday 19 - Wednesday 21 August
17:24
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.
Watch: Final moments of seven who died in Bayesian tragedy revealed by fire service boss
17:08
Jabed Ahmed
How long will it take to recover the sailing vessel?
16:52
Jabed Ahmed
Mr 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, according to a BBC translation.
“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.
Why were nearby vessels not similarly affected?
16:39
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.
Why did the boat sink?
16:19
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.
Pictured: Bayesian superyacht
15:58
Jabed Ahmed
Watch: Who is Mike Lynch, the billionaire tech entrepreneur?
15:43
Jabed Ahmed
Why were several of the passengers in one cabin?
15:21
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.
Why weren’t passengers who remained on board the vessel warned about escaping from the yacht?
15:03
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.
Video: Italian prosecutor announces manslaughter investigation over Mike Lynch yacht sinking
14:42
Jabed Ahmed
Uncertainty over how long it will take to retrieve shipwreck, officials say
14:21
Jabed Ahmed
Key questions for investigators of the Bayesian yacht tragedy in Sicily
13:49
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?
Passengers were asleep and therefore unable to escape, prosecutors say
13:29
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.”
Watch: Mike Lynch’s friend mourns ‘unbelievably tragic’ death after fraud trial acquittal
13:15
Jabed Ahmed
Who was on the Bayesian? How Mike Lynch’s inner circle celebrated end of billionaire’s 13 year court battle
12:59
Jabed Ahmed
Prosecutor says Bayesian incident is a ‘very grave tragedy'
12:43
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”.
Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, 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.”
ICYMI: Bodies were recovered from cabins on the left side of the yacht
12:26
Jabed Ahmed
The bodies of six people were recovered from cabins on the left side of the yacht after it had sunk, the chief of the Palermo fire service said.
Girolamo Bentivoglio said specialised divers attempting to retrieve the bodies had to deal with “very little visibility due to the weather conditions” and were called in from across the country as part of a search-and-rescue operation which involved “some 70 people” each day.
He added: “The yacht obviously pinned to the right and obviously the (people) tried to go on the other side and then took refuge in their cabins.
“We found four or five bodies in the cabin on the left and there was another one in the third cabin on the left too, and obviously they were in the higher part of the wreck.
“Obviously, emergency procedures were implemented by the divers and obviously we installed cameras and involved further divers.
“And we involved obviously helicopter services and other surveillance cameras.”
Watch: Manslaughter investigation launched into Mike Lynch yacht deaths
12:05
Jabed Ahmed
Daughter of Mike Lynch recovered from yacht as family ‘devastated’ after five-day search
11:49
Jabed Ahmed
No autopsies have been carried out yet
11:33
Jabed Ahmed
No information has yet been gleaned from an examination of the seven people who died, the prosecutor of the case has said.
In response to a question about whether post-mortem examinations have been carried out, Raffaele Cammarano told a press conference in Italy: “There are a whole number of preliminary stages to go through before the autopsies.”
The yacht had been hit by a downburst and the 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.
The inquiry is currently an Italian affair with local involvement, but chief prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio said: “I cannot tell you with any certainty that the inquiry will be exclusively Italian.”
He added: “There will be developments, I’m sure, on that score.”
It is ‘probable’ that offences were committed, prosecutor says
11:10
Jabed Ahmed
Public prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio said he thought it was “probable that offences were committed” surrounding the sinking of the yacht.
He told reporters that the sinking could have been the responsibility of the captain, crew, individuals in charge of supervision, the ship-builder, or others.
He added: “We will establish each element’s responsibility – that will be done by the inquiry, so we can’t do that prematurely.
“For me, it is probable that offences were committed – that it could be a case of manslaughter – but we can only establish that if you give us the time to investigate.
“Media timing is completely different from that of a prosecutor. We need a minimum amount of time to come to a proper scientific conclusion.”
Italian officials currently cannot say when the first distress signal was launched
10:58
Jabed Ahmed
Maritime director of western Sicily Rear Admiral Raffaele Macauda, said: “It is normal when there is imminent danger to send distress signals – that is what alerted the port authorities to come to the scene.
“It may be that there was an error in manipulation given the speed of events and it meant that an emergency distress signal was not launched properly or at the right time.
“We can’t reconstruct all these details, I’m afraid at the moment.
“We can’t say exactly at what time the first distress signal was launched.”
He also said “the owners will bear the full cost of the retrieval” of the wreckage and could not estimate how much it would cost.
Passengers were asleep and therefore unable to escape, prosecutors say
10:29
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.”
We have no idea why five bodies were found in same cabin, prosecution says
10:26
Jabed Ahmed
All of the bodies onboard the sunken yacht were found in a single cabin which “was not theirs”, a prosecutor told reporters.
Prosecutor Raffaele Cammarano said, through a translation provided by the BBC: “The bodies were found in a cabin which was not theirs but this doesn’t give us any kind of certainty about what happened.
“We have no idea of the reasons for their all being found in the same cabin.”
Italian officials will be looking at the safety equipment on the sunken yacht
10:14
Jabed Ahmed
Raffaele Cammarano, the prosecutor of the case, was asked about whether there is a black box and if the hatches were left open.
He said: “We haven’t got exact information about the black box. It was extremely difficult to get inside some of the cabins and the yacht itself.
“The first phase of this inquiry will certainly concentrate on confirming the presence of such things and the retrieval of the bodies.
“We can’t reply with any certainty about that yet.”
He added: “We can’t reveal anything at this stage but the facts will be confirmed by the later search amongst the wreckage.”
‘Abnormal meteorological condition’ caused storm
10:10
Jabed Ahmed
Coast guard rear admiral Raffaele Macauda said: “This was an abnormal meteorological condition, and as you can see from the internet there was forecasts from midnight to 4am, winds of a strength of five from the north-west and the west and a storm alert.
“But there wasn’t an alert of a tornado.”
Diver says there were many ‘obstacles’ to get to the cabins in the Bayesian
10:06
Jabed Ahmed
Replying to a question asked by a reporter, a diver who went down to the Bayesian said there were many “obstacles” on the way to finding the bodies in the cabins.
Specialised divers attempting to retrieve the bodies had to deal with “very little visibility due to the weather conditions” and were called in from across the country as part of a search-and-rescue operation which involved “some 70 people” each day.
Prosecutors asked how it is possible most crew survived but not tourists
10:04
Jabed Ahmed
The incident happened “really, really suddenly” and the inquiry will look at how so many members of the crew survived, the prosecutor of this specific case has said.
Raffaele Cammarano was asked at a press conference about how it is possible that most of the crew managed to survive.
According to a translation, he told a press conference: “We have tried to find out maximum information possible from the crew members or the survivors – all I would say is that the incident happened really, really suddenly.
“The inquiry will begin with the facts of the shipwreck – that is all I can say at the moment.”
Bayesian blackbox still not found
10:00
Jabed Ahmed
The Bayesian yacht’s blackbox has not been found, prosecutors have said.
He also refused to reveal any details about whether diver had found that hatches had been left open, allowing water to flood in, or whether the stabilising keel had been raised before the coming storm, making the yacht more unstable.
“We can’t reveal anything at this stage, but the facts will be confirmed by the latr search of the wreckage,” he said.
“The whole matter is sub-judice and we’re waiting for an analysis to confirm the information.”
Autopsies on victims 'not done yet', prosecutors say
09:55
Jabed Ahmed
Autopsies on the victims “have not been done yet”, prosecutors said.
They also said that they do not know the specific timeline of the investigation and said it depends on the owners of the yacht and maritime authorities.
“After all, the wreck is 50 metres down,” they said.
Prosecutors give update on timeline of investigation
09:46
Jabed Ahmed
Prosecutors have said they will first need to salvage the wreck oft he Bayesian yacht before knowing exactly what has happened. They said they cannot confirm how long it will take, despite some experts suggesting it will take eight weeks.
“The main priority is retrieving the boat,” a prosectutor told the press conference.
Bodies were recovered from cabins on the left side of the yacht
09:39
Jabed Ahmed
The bodies of six people were recovered from cabins on the left side of the yacht after it had sunk, the chief of the Palermo fire service said.
Girolamo Bentivoglio said, through a translation provided by the BBC, that specialised divers attempting to retrieve the bodies had to deal with “very little visibility due to the weather conditions” and were called in from across the country as part of a search-and-rescue operation which involved “some 70 people” each day.
He added: “The yacht obviously pinned to the right and obviously the (people) tried to go on the other side and then took refuge in their cabins.
“We found four or five bodies in the cabin on the left and there was another one in the third cabin on the left too, and obviously they were in the higher part of the wreck.
“Obviously, emergency procedures were implemented by the divers and obviously we installed cameras and involved further divers.
“And we involved obviously helicopter services and other surveillance cameras.”
Prosecutor says Bayesian incident is a ‘very grave tragedy'
09:37
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”.
Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, 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.”
Chief prosecutor says there ‘could be a question of homicide’ in sinking of Bayesian
09:25
Jabed Ahmed
A manslaughter investigation has been opened into the deaths of seven people, including British technology tycoon Mike Lynch and his daughter Hannah, in the sinking of a luxury yacht off the coast of Sicily, Ambrogio Cartosio, public prosecutor of Termini Imerese, said.
Mr said Cartosio there “could be a question of homicide” in the sinking and that it could have been be caused by “behaviours that were not in order”. But he added that “this is just, in fact, the beginning of an inquiry”.
Watch live: Chief prosecutor leading investigation into Mike Lynch yacht sinking gives press conference
09:07
Jabed Ahmed
Watch: Moment Bayesian yacht engulfed by storm
09:02
Jabed Ahmed
Mapped: Where did the Bayesian sink?
08:16
Jabed Ahmed
A complex salvage operation underway after ‘indescribable, unreasonable errors’
08:04
Jabed Ahmed
Giovanni Costantino, CEO of The Italian Sea Group , which owns Perini, has said the shipwreck was the result of a string of "indescribable, unreasonable errors" made by the crew, and ruled out any design or construction failings.
Pulling the Bayesian out of the sea may help investigators determine what happened, but the operation is likely to be complex and costly.
Nick Sloane, a South African engineer who led the operation to salvage the Costa Concordia cruise liner that sank in 2012, said in Italian media interviews on Friday that the operation would cost up to 15 million euros (£12.7 million).
He told La Repubblica that salvaging the yacht would take six to eight weeks, including preparation work, and would have to be completed by mid-October, without specifying the reasons for the timing.
Bringing the yacht to the surface will have to be done “very, very slowly”, and might take a couple of days, he said.
News conference to be held on yacht sinking amid reports of manslaughter probe
07:30
Jabed Ahmed
Italian officials are scheduled to hold a press conference on Saturday morning on the sinking of Bayesian off the coast of Sicily.
Termini Imerese Public Prosecutor’s Office investigators said it will hold a news conference to unveil the first findings of its criminal investigation, which was opened immediately after the tragedy despite no formal suspects having been publicly identified.
The main question investigators are focusing on is how a sailing vessel deemed “unsinkable” by its manufacturer, Italian shipyard Perini Navi, sank while a nearby sailboat remained largely unscathed.
Watch: Captain details Bayesian sinking ‘within two minutes’ after rescuing survivors
06:00
Tara Cobham
Mike Lynch’s yacht was ‘unsinkable’, says boss of company who built boat
05:00
Tara Cobham
Boats like Mike Lynch’s superyacht are “unsinkable”, according to the chief executive of the company that builds and sells the vessels.
Giovanni Costantino, the chief executive of the Italian Sea Group, said there are no flaws with the design and construction of the Bayesian and it is “one of the safest boats in the world”.
The Bayesian, a 184-ft superyacht carrying 22 passengers and crew, was anchored off the port of Porticello, near Palermo, when it disappeared beneath the waves in a matter of minutes after a freak tornado struck.
My colleague Joe Middleton reports:
Key takeaways from the press conference
11:20
Jabed Ahmed
- Italian officials have launched a shipwreck and manslaughter investigation
- Public prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio said he thought it was “probable that offences were committed” surrounding the sinking of the yacht.
- Several bodies onboard the sunken yacht were found in a single cabin which “was not theirs”
- The yacht had been hit by a downburst. Downbursts are powerful winds that descend from a thunderstorm and spread out quickly once they hit the ground.
- Passengers may not have been able to escape from the yacht because they were asleep.
Lynch family ‘devastated and in shock'
04:00
Tara Cobham
The Lynch family said they are “devastated” and “in shock” in their first public comments since the Bayesian superyacht sank.
After Hannah Lynch’s body was discovered on Friday following five days of searching the wreckage, a spokesperson for the Lynch family said: “The Lynch family is devastated, in shock and is being comforted and supported by family and friends.
"Their thoughts are with everyone affected by the tragedy. They would like to sincerely thank the Italian coastguard, emergency services and all those who helped in the rescue.”