Sudden winds with force equivalent to a hurricane knocked down the Bayesian luxury superior, which wrecked Largo from the coast of Sicily last August, according to an interim report on the disaster, which concluded that the vessel had “vulnerabilities” to extreme winds, unknown to the owner or the crew.
The 56 -meter sailboat, owned by Mike Lynch’s British technology, was anchored about 800 meters from Porticello port on the north coast of Italian island, when he sank, killing seven people, including Lynch and his 18 -year -old daughter Hannah.
The initial efforts to recover yacht’s wreckage also proved to be deadly. A diver involved in operations died in an accident on Friday, May 9. The diver was identified as Rob Cornelis Maria Huijben Uiben, a 39 -year -old Dutchman who worked for TMC, the company responsible for the recovery.
The exact cause of his death remains uncertain, although the prosecutor informed CNN that there was evidence that the diver’s body was drilled by a metal fragment.
The work to recover the superior were suspended after his death, but restarted on Thursday morning. However, an orange meteorological alert for rain, thunderstorms and strong winds was in force in the region when the operation resumed.
The interim report of the UK Maritime Accident Investigation Agency (MAIB) presents a detailed account of the hours before Bayesian suddenly became the desperate escape attempts of the 12 guests and 10 crew on board at the following times.
On the night of August 13, when Bayesian guests and some crew members withdrew to sleep, the sea was calm and the winds were weak, but were foreseen thunderstorms, according to the report.
Bayesian captain James Cutfield instructed the night watchmen to wake him up if the wind speed exceeded 37 km/h or if the boat began to drag the anchor, according to the report.
Around 3 am, one of the watchmen noticed storm clouds and lightning that seemed to be approaching, although the wind blown around 14 km/h from the west.
An hour later, the wind increased to 55 km/h. At about 3:55, the watchman filmed a video of the approaching storm and published it on social networks, according to the report, before closing the cockpit windows and the front hats to protect the interior from the rain yacht.
Witnesses described furious gusts and hurricane force winds that left an avalanche of wreckage near the pier.
At 3:57, the yacht began to drag its anchor, and the watchman woke up the captain and other crew members, according to the report. Some of the guests were also awakened by the storm.
Floating guard-ship Hebo Lift 10, responsible for recovering the “Bayesian” yacht, drawn in the port of Termini IMERESE before the rescue operation on the particello, near Palermo, Italy, on May 3. Igor Pityx/Reuters/File
Lynch went to the boat’s flybridge to see if the taxis scheduled for 8 am would have to be canceled due to the storm. The yacht’s chief cash began to store cutlery, pans and skillets.
Suddenly, the wind increased to more than 129 km/h, and around 4:06 the yacht “was violently leaned” at a 90 degree angle in less than 15 seconds, launching people, furniture and other items loose by deck, according to the report.
“There was no evidence of flooding inside Bayesian until the water entered the stubby side and, in seconds, invaded the internal spaces on the stairs,” the report said.
Guests and crew fought to escape the sinking ship, with two guests to use furniture drawers as a staircase to get out of their cabin, according to the report.
The survivors swam and used boat pillows as fluctuation devices before the boat’s head of operations managed to release and inflate a life boat, according to the report.
In response to a lifeline fired at the life boat, the captain of a nearby ship rescued the survivors before contacting the local coastal guard, according to the report.
Rescue boats return to Porticello’s port near Palermo after finding two bodies on August 21, 2024, two days after the wreck of the Bayesian luxury yacht. Alberto Pizzoli/AFP/Getty Images/File
Seven people died in the accident, including Yacht’s cooking, Recardo Thomas, Morgan Stanley International director Jonathan Bloomer, prominent American lawyer Chris Morvillo and their wives, Judy Bloomer and Neda Morvillo. Cutfield and 14 others survived the wreck, including Lynch’s wife Angela Bacares.
Winds of 117 km/h were enough to tilt Bayesian beyond the recovery point, the investigation concluded. It was also indicated that Bayesian could have been vulnerable to weaker winds.
“These vulnerabilities (when in engine condition with low candles, the central keel raised and 10% of consumables on board) were not identified in the onboard stability information book,” the report said. “Consequently, these vulnerabilities were also unknown by the owner or the Bayesian crew.”
