Bodies of all men missing after the Bayesian superyacht sank off the coast of Italy’s Sicily have been found, including UK tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, a coastguard official told news agency AFP on Thursday (Aug 22).
The official confirmed that out of three men and three women missing, authorities are now searching for one woman.
Besides British tech tycoon Lynch, Jonathan Bloomer, his wife Juditch Bloomer, lawyer Christopher Morvillo and his wife Neda Morvillo have also been identified.
However, Lynch’s 18-year-old daughter has been still missing.
Watch | CCTV footage captures the moment storm hit Superyacht ‘Bayesian’
The yacht, carrying a crew of 10 people and 12 passengers, was hit by a freak storm on Monday (Aug 19), while it was anchored just off the shore near the port of Porticello. It was hit by a tornado-like waterspout, following which it quickly sank.
The chief executive of a firm which makes and sells yachts like the Bayesian highlighted that the sinking may have been due to the stress of human mistakes.
Giovanni Constantino, CEO of the Italian Sea Group, told the Italian public broadcaster RAI, that the storm on Monday had been expected.
“The ship sank because it took on water. From where? Investigators will have to say,” he told television news programme TG1.
The prosecutors have now opened an investigation into the sinking and witnesses have begun to be questioned, including the vessel’s captain James Cutfield. However, no official cause for the disaster has been mentioned yet.
Constantino told Sky News there were no flaws with the design and construction of the Bayesian and vessels like the stricken superyacht were “unsinkable”.
Physical and mental impact of Bayesian superyacht sinking
The operation has taken a huge mental and physical toll on the divers, including salvaging victims’ bodies from the wreckage has caused huge amounts of psychological stress, former Royal Navy submarine captain Ryan Ramsey told Sky News.
“It’s been exceptionally stressful for them both mentally and physically,” he said.
He further said that along with the mental impact, the process of diving into the wreck and coming to the surface repeatedly will have been “exceptionally tiring for them”.
(With inputs from agencies)
