Bayesian superyacht sinking ‘was not caused by storm’: Italian investigators say crew was to blame for tragedy that killed 7 including billionaire Mike Lynch
The sinking of Mike Lynch’s Bayesian superyacht was not caused by the storm, investigators have revealed.
The £30 million ship capsized off the coast of Sicily in August 2024, killing seven people, including the British tech billionaire and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah.
Italian prosecutors have appointed experts to examine whether a strange weather phenomenon described by witnesses as a “hurricane” was responsible for the tragedy.
But the report revealed that this was as much as: It’s ‘little more than a storm, a sudden increase in wind speed before thunderstorms and downpours’ that crews need to be able to manage.
According to initial findings, the 184ft yacht capsized and sank due to improper actions by the crew, their underestimation of the weather and the failure to properly activate a number of safety devices.
The investigation is investigating the possibility of alleged crimes against the yacht’s captain and two crew members, including a negligent shipwreck and multiple counts of manslaughter.
This also increased the possibility of liability for the superyacht’s builder.
Seven people died, including tech billionaire Mike Lynch (right) and his daughter Hannah (left), when the Bayesian sank in a freak storm in 2024
The superyacht sank off the coast of Sicily on August 19, 2024. Seems to be pulled to the surface
The Bayesian sank off the coast of the Sicilian fishing village of Porticello, just 16 minutes after being hit by a severe 100 mph gale.
Mr Lynch was on board with 11 guests, including his deceased daughter and wife Angela. Bacares was rescued along with 10 crew members.
Other victims were Bayesian chief Recaldo Thomas; Jonathan Bloomer, chairman of Morgan Stanley International, and his wife, Judy; and Mr. Lynch’s attorney, Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda Morvillo.
The yacht’s owner, Italian Sea Group (TISG), blamed the crew for the sinking and sued Mr Lynch’s widow. £400 million, claiming the company lost sales after the disaster.
TISG’s majority owner, Italian yacht millionaire Giovanni Costantino, insisted the yacht was “unsinkable”, claiming the crew’s incompetence and negligence led to the tragedy on 19 August 2024.
He claimed doors and portholes were not secured and weather warnings were ignored despite being widely publicised.
Mr Costantino also said the fact that it took 16 minutes for the yacht to sink meant there was enough time for passengers and crew to be rescued.
His company has now filed a lawsuit against the town of Termini Imerese on Sicily’s north coast, claiming the company is blamed for the disaster and has lost millions.
A source close to the Lynch family told the Daily Mail: ‘This claim is as cynical as it is predictable.
‘The UK investigation raised serious, unresolved questions about the yacht’s design, stability and operating characteristics, including vulnerabilities unknown to the owner and crew.
‘This action appears designed to divert attention from these issues, but will not prevent proper scrutiny of how the ship was designed, approved and built. ‘He is desperate, opportunistic and malevolent.’
Last year, British researchers revealed that the crew on the superyacht were ‘unaware’ of their ‘vulnerability’ to strong winds, which caused the yacht to tip over and sink.
The Marine Accident Investigation Branch said the yacht was doomed to disaster after being hit by winds of 80.6 miles per hour, causing it to lean heavily on its side and being unable to straighten out due to the terrible storm.
MAIB said in its report that the captain and crew could not have had any idea about the yacht’s weak points as they were not specified in the onboard stability information booklet.
In March, Mr Lynch’s estate was ordered to pay $1.24bn (£930m) in damages to Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE); This increased the possibility that the damage could be repaired.
The Bayesian, pictured left, capsized and sank off the coast of Sicily after anchoring near Porticello to shelter from a predicted storm.
A High Court judge ruled that Mr Lynch owed compensation and interest to HPE for the fraudulent sale of software company Autonomy in 2011.
Mr Lynch was jailed on US fraud charges related to the Autonomy sale before he was acquitted.
The purpose of his ill-fated Bayesian journey was to celebrate his legal victory.
