Manslaughter probe into Bayesian superyacht tragedy will review actions of captain and first officer and examine CCTV showing its last moments before it capsized Mike Lynch yacht sinking latest: Final body found in water By Nick Craven In Sicily Published: 15:46, 23 August 2024 | Updated: 16:15, 23 August 2024 e-mail 7 shares 36 View comments The manslaughter investigation into the Bayesian superyacht tragedy will review the actions of the captain and first officer and examine CCTV showing the moments before the ship capsized. The local prosecutor has launched a probe into 'multiple culpable homicides and shipwreck', involving 'unnamed persons' according to reliable local media reports. Causing a shipwreck is a separate charge under the Italian penal code, with a maximum sentence of 12 years, while culpable homicide, roughly equivalent to the British offence of manslaughter, also carries a hefty prison term.
As the captain of the stricken 56-metre long vessel, the actions of New Zealander James Cutfield, 51, will be examined by investigators. He has already been quizzed for more than two hours by prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio based in Termini Imerese, a few miles from Porticello, where the Bayesian went down shortly after 4am on Monday. As the captain of the stricken 56-metre long vessel, the actions of New Zealander James Cutfield, 51, will be examined by investigators Hannah Lynch with her father Mike Lynch.
Both tragically died in the sinking of his superyacht Banking boss Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy died in the disaster Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda Morvillo are also among the dead The body of chef Recaldo Thomas (pictured) was discovered on the day of the sinking Along with the key questions of how he and his crew handled the emergency when the boat was hit by a mini-tornado, the team will also want to know why all but one of the crew survived, while the six of the seven dead or missing were passengers. Yesterday it emerged that, far from going down in 'sixty seconds', as was first reported, but boat was apparently dragged at anchor for as long as 16 minutes while the drama continued. Fifteen people, nine of them crew, were able to escape the sinking vessel, many of them clambering inside an inflatable life raft, and fire a distress flare to summon help.
Yet all the five bodies recovered from the vessel, which include that of owner, tech tycoon Mike Lynch, 59, appeared to have been trapped below decks, trying to escape and were not in their cabins, according to reports . Read More Hannah Lynch's family say they are 'devastated and in shock' and suffering 'unspeakable grief' The news of the official investigation came after the boss of the boat-building firm which constructed the Bayesian claimed only 'human error' could have sent the 'virtually unsinkable' yacht beneath the waves. Giovanni Costantino, founder and CEO of The Italian Sea Group, parent company of Perini Navi which built the Bayesian, also questioned why it was not inside the safety of the harbour.
'The passengers reported something absurd, that the storm came unexpectedly, suddenly,' Mr Costantino told Italian daily, Corriere della Sera. 'That is not true. Everything was predictable.
' Mr Costantino said the Bayesian was 'one of the safest boats in the world' and was virtually 'unsinkable'. 'Ask yourself – why were none of the Porticello fishing boats out that night? A fisherman checks the conditions and a ship doesn't? The storm was completely readable on all the weather maps. It was impossible not to know.
' Mr Costantino said the strong winds had pushed the boat for four minutes in what he called 'drifting'. He claimed the boat then rotated and had begun taking on water before it sank. Search teams leave for the wreck site of the Bayesian this morning People have been anxiously waiting for news at the harbour in Porticello The Bayesian sank on August 19 off the coast of Sicily amid severe stormy weather 'It tilted 90 degrees for only one reason: because the water kept coming in,' he said.
'From the time it started coming in to the time it went down was sixteen minutes. Those who say it disappeared in a few seconds are speaking rubbish.' Mr Constantino said the crew should have closed all the doors and portholes and gathered all guests on deck in preparation for an emergency evacuation.
'A Perini vessel survived Hurricane Katrina. You don't think it could survive a tornado like this?' A press conference has been announced for tomorrow morning by the prosecutors' office, at which more details are expected to be revealed. Read More Bayesian shipbuilder claims crew had '16 MINUTES' to warn passengers as yacht 'dragged its anchor' Investigators have been examining videos and photographs taken on the night of the storm showing the last minutes of the ship, as well as CCTV footage of the port.
Italian news website Palermo Today said coastguard officials have visited all of the homes and public places with surveillance cameras pointed out to sea in the area. The Prosecutor's Office are also closely reviewing the actions and decisions made by the Bayesian's Captain Mr Cutfield and Matthew Griffith, 22, understood to be the first officer, according to Palermo Today. It has been reported that Mr Cutfield was quizzed 'at length' for at least two hours by the prosecution team.
After the tragedy Mr Cutfield reportedly told Italian media: 'We didn't see it coming.' The captain's brother Mark told the New Zealand Herald that his brother was a 'very good sailor' and was 'very well respecte' in the Mediterranean. He said Mr Cutfield had been involved in building ships for 30 years in the Mediterranean, as well as racing 470s in his youth, before becoming the captain of luxury yachts eight years ago.
He had reportedly been with a Turkish billionaire before working for Mr Lynch. Leah Randall (pictured in black) was one of the surviving crew members Katya Chicken, another surviving crew member, is pictured in Palermo on Monday While investigators probed the cause of the tragedy, are said to be focusing their investigation on the Bayesian's skipper James Cutfield, they will also be interviewing the other crew members who were saved. Sources suggested they will be keen to hear first-hand accounts about how the tragedy unfolded to try and establish why yacht sank so fast in the freak weather conditions when it was anchored and so close to shore.
The crew members who are expected to give statements include Irish citizen Sasha Murray, 29, who reportedly injured her right foot in the sinking. Sasha is the daughter of the late former Irish racing driver Fionn Murray, and is said to have worked in the yachting industry for around ten years since leaving school, although the job she did on Mr Lynch's yacht has not been revealed. Local residents in Maugherow in County Sligo in north-west Ireland where she grew up described her this week as 'outgoing' and 'very personable'.
Read More BREAKING NEWS Pictured: 'Well respected' captain, 51, of doomed £30m luxury superyacht Dessie Carway, a neighbour who knows the family and runs the Sligo Sea Barn beachfront tourist accommodation in the Maugherow area, said: 'She is a lovely girl.' Sasha's father Fionn came second in the world championship of Formula Ford Racing at the Brands Hatch Festival in 1990, and went on to race across Europe. She was aged just three when her father was killed aged 33 along with her grandfather Holger Schiller died in a light aircraft crash after taking off from Strandhill Airport in County Sligo in 1998.
The pair were said to be taking part in a treasure hunt when the plane suffered engine failure.Mr Carway said local people were relieved to hear that Sasha had escaped from the stricken yacht, sparing her mother Jessica, brother Kilian, 27, and grandmother Erika from the ordeal of losing her. He said: 'They are good neighbours and a very respected family.
.. She lost her father and grandfather on the same day so it is a great relief that her family don't have to deal with any more tragedy.
.. You'd imagine that a guardian angel somewhere was watching over her.
' Local Independent councillor Marie Casserly said: 'Thank God she is safe. The family has had so much tragedy that this is very welcome news that Sasha has survived.' Sasha's grandparents Holger and Erika Schiller holidayed in Co Sligo in the 1970s and after falling in love with the place, moved from their home in Germany and bought and renovated Ardtarmon Castle, in north Sligo.
Photograph of Hannah Lynch and the family's dog 'Faucet, which has been issued by her loved ones Hannah was a pupil at Latymer Upper school in West London and had won a place at Oxford to study English Literature Dr Lynch with his wife Angela, who managed to escape from Monday's disaster The Schiller family also run an estate agent's, Schiller and Schiller. Other crew members who survived include French citizen Matthew Griffith, 22, and South African citizen Leo Eppel who is believed to be aged in his 20s and a keen surfer and skateboarder. Myin Htun Kyaw, 39, who is from Myanmar was also reported to have been rescued, along with crew members Tus Koopmans from the Netherlands, and Eaton Parker.
Their roles on the yacht are also not known. A spokesperson for the foreign ministry in the Netherlands did not refer to Mr Koopmans by name, but said a Dutch man had been rescued and was not in life-threatening condition. Leah Randall, 20, from South Africa and Katja Chicken, 22, from Germany who escaped from the yacht were reportedly working on board as hostesses, suggesting they had domestic roles in cleaning and serving guests, rather than operating the vessel.
Since the tragedy, the pair are said to have been staying at the Domina Zagarella hotel in Santa Flavia, which was used as a base by emergency services during the search and recovery mission. The two were reported to be in a state of shock, and were tearful as they told Italian media: 'We are alive by a miracle.' The ANSA news agency reported that one of the women spoke in a trembling voice as she said of their experience: 'It was terrible.
' Leah's mother Heidi Randall told Sky News : 'I'm beyond relieved that my daughter's life was spared by the grace of God.'It doesn't make it any easier living with heartache of those who have lost their lives or missing.' In a reference to the yacht's chef Recaldo Thomas, a Canadian-Antiguan citizen who died in the tragedy, Heidi added: 'My very deepest condolences to the chef's family as they formed a great friendship .
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