TERMINI IMERESE: Sicilian prosecutors have launched an investigation into possible manslaughter following the sinking of a superyacht that resulted in the deaths of seven people. The tragedy unfolded when the British-flagged Bayesian went down in a storm early Monday morning, causing passengers to desperately search for air pockets as the vessel sank.
Among the deceased were UK tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, his 18-year-old daughter Hannah, four friends, and the yacht’s cook. The Public Prosecutor’s Office of Termini Imerese is investigating potential charges of negligent shipwreck and multiple counts of negligent manslaughter.
State prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio announced the probe in response to the significant international interest in the case but emphasized that the investigation is still in its early stages and no conclusions have been drawn.
The 56-meter (185-foot) yacht had been anchored off Porticello, near Palermo, when it was hit by a mini-tornado before dawn. Lynch, who had invited friends and family to celebrate his recent acquittal in a major US fraud case, was among those who perished. Fifteen people were rescued, while a major search operation later recovered the bodies of Lynch, his daughter, and four friends. The yacht’s chef was found shortly after the incident, but six passengers remained unaccounted for initially.
