TERMINI IMERESE: An Italian prosecutor has initiated a manslaughter investigation into the deaths of British tech magnate Mike Lynch and six other people who were killed when their luxury yacht sank off Sicily this week.
The investigation, led by Ambrogio Cartosio of the Termini Imerese public prosecutor’s office, is not aimed at any specific individual.
Among the deceased was Lynch’s 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, who, along with others, perished when their 56-meter (184-foot) yacht, the Bayesian, capsized during a severe pre-dawn storm on Monday near Porticello, close to Palermo.
Of the 22 people onboard, 15 survived, including Lynch’s wife—whose company owns the yacht—and the vessel’s captain. The captain, James Cutfield, along with the other survivors, has been questioned by the Coast Guard, but none have publicly commented on the circumstances of the sinking.
Divers located Hannah Lynch’s body on Friday after five days of searching the submerged yacht. The bodies of the other five deceased passengers were recovered on Wednesday and Thursday, while onboard chef Recaldo Thomas was found on Monday.
The sinking has raised questions among naval experts, who are surprised that a yacht of the Bayesian’s quality, built by the renowned Italian manufacturer Perini, could not withstand the storm and sank as rapidly as it did.
