A tech tycoon - dubbed the "British Bill Gates" - and his teenage daughter were among the seven people killed after a luxury superyacht sank this week. Bayesian capsized off the coast of Porticello, Palermo, on Monday morning during stormy conditions. It is thought the weather caused a freak water spout , which develop downwards in thunderstorms, and this struck the boat's huge mast.
But the official cause of the disaster is yet to be determined, although investigations continue. This is one of several key questions still left unanswered following the tragedy, which killed entrepreneur Mike Lynch, 59, and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah . Hannah was found alone in her own cabin on board the superyacht , it emerged on Saturday night.
The bodies of Recaldo Thomas, who was working as a chef on the vessel , along with Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer , his wife Judy Bloomer, Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda Morvillo were also recovered at the scene. Italian prosecutors have opened manslaughter investigations into each of the deaths. Termini Imerese prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio said on Saturday: "For me, it is probable that offences were committed, that it could be a case of manslaughter, but we can only establish that if you give us the time to investigate.
" Although it was reported Mr Lynch had organised the trip as a celebration, following his acquittal of fraud charges in the US , it is unclear where exactly the group started their voyage - and where they were planning to go. It is also unclear when the celebration began exactly, and when it was supposed to end. Mr Lynch had also held a garden party at his country mansion in Suffolk to celebrate his court victory in the United States.
Guests who attended are believed to have included local villagers and friends from the world of business and politics including Tory peer Lord Deben and former deputy prime minister Thérèse Coffey. Mr Lynch staged the event in June within days of being cleared of fraud charges he faced in the US over the $11bn (£8.6bn) sale of his software firm to Hewlett-Packard in 2011.
Italian authorities haven't declared a great deal of information in relation to the manslaughter investigations. They have also said they are looking into negligent shipwreck too. But it is unclear who - if anyone at this stage - they have identified as suspects.
Public prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio confirmed the information at a press conference today, after all bodies had been found and identified. The press conference also heard from the prosecutor in charge of the case, Raffaele Cammarano, maritime director of western Sicily Rear Admiral Raffaele Macauda, the fire brigade chief of Palermo, Bentivoglio Fiandra, and the brigade’s chief diver, Giuseppe Petrone. Inquests into the deaths of each of the tragic individuals have yet to be opened.
These are designed to establish the circumstances surrounding a death. They don't determine why someone died, rather how they died - the injuries which likely caused their death. These will be opened in due course, and the media will be allowed to attend.
A coroner will hear information about the boat disaster and expert analysis into what will have likely caused the deaths. It may be the case that the inquests are opened briefly and then adjourned until a later date. This often happens when the authorities need time to establish more details, which is often the case after rare tragedies like this one.
Similarly, it will take some time until we officially know - if ever - what caused the yacht to sink, particularly with the ongoing manslaughter probe. Authories continue to investigate everything, which will be a long and complex process. There is the suggestion a freak water spout , which develop downwards in thunderstorms, struck the Bayesian's mast.
These can either form over water or move from land to water and have the same characteristics as a land tornado, according to the US National Ocean Service. Many storms have swept through Italy in recent days, with floods and landslides causing severe damage in the north of the country after weeks of scorching heat. Mr Lynch’s yacht was fitted with a 75-metre mast, the world ’s second-tallest, which would have made the vessel particularly vulnerable to getting caught up in a waterspout.
Intense waterspouts, which are rare, can cause boats severe damage or even to capsize. A fisherman in Porticello, near Palermo, said, through a translator, that he saw a “tornado” on Monday morning, and a flare in the sky - typically used as a distress signal - moments later..
