Possible Manslaughter Charges in Investigation of Deadly Superyacht Sinking

August 24, 2024 by No Comments

Authorities investigating the sinking of a superyacht off the coast of Sicily that resulted in seven deaths earlier this week are considering manslaughter charges, judicial sources told Reuters. 

The public prosecutor’s office of Termini Imerese in Sicily is investigating potential negligence on the part of the yacht’s crew as it encountered storms while anchored. 

Divers on Friday recovered what is believed to be the body of Hannah Lynch, the last individual unaccounted for in the tragedy, the Italian Coast Guard stated. 

She was the daughter of Mike Lynch, a British tech mogul who was celebrating his acquittal on fraud charges with friends and family on the vessel. His body was also recovered. 

The Lynch family was aboard the Bayesian, a 184-foot British-flagged yacht that sank after capsizing in the early hours of Monday amid winds reaching speeds of up to 100 mph. 

Bayesian had 22 people on board — 12 passengers and 10 crew — when it capsized within minutes of being struck by a predawn storm. 

Fifteen individuals survived the sinking, including Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares. 

The yacht’s captain and the other survivors have been interviewed by the Italian Coast Guard at the request of the prosecutor’s office. 

The prosecutor leading the case is scheduled to hold a press conference Saturday. No one is formally under investigation at this time. 

Potential charges could include negligent shipwreck and multiple homicide, sources told Reuters. 

“The Lynch family is devastated, in shock and is being comforted and supported by family and friends,” a spokesperson said in a statement on behalf of the family. “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.” 

Investigators are attempting to determine why the yacht sank so rapidly. 

Giovanni Costantino, CEO of The Italian Sea Group, which built Lynch’s yacht, attributed the shipwreck to a series of errors made by the crew and ruled out any design or construction flaws.

“The impossible happened on that boat … but it went down because it took on water. From where, the investigators will tell,” 

Christopher Morvillo, an American lawyer with Clifford Chance who defended Lynch in the fraud case, also died, as did Morgan Stanley International Chairman Jonathan Bloomer, who testified in Lynch’s defense.

Morvillo’s wife, Neda, and Bloomer’s wife, Judy, were also among the deceased. The body of onboard chef Recaldo Thomas, an Antiguan citizen, was recovered Monday.

A nearby sailboat rescued 15 people, including a 1-year-old girl. 

Divers had been searching for the missing individuals in the hull of the Bayesian, which now rests on the seabed 164 feet underwater.

Civil protection officials said they believe the Bayesian was struck by a tornado over the water, known as a waterspout, sometime around 5 a.m. Monday near the port of Porticello, where it was anchored and then sank quickly. 

Digital’s Michael Dorgan and Reuters contributed to this report.