Mike Lynch's yacht sunk: Exploring the aftermath of the tragic incident.
Last Updated: May 4, 2025
The enigma of the Bayesian's demise is heatin' up. On August 19, 2024, this swanky superyacht, the Bayesian, found itself at the bottom of the sea off Sicily's coast, claiming the lives of British tech tycoon Mike Lynch, his daughter Hannah, and five others. Salvage operations kicked off on Sunday, May 4, striving to uncover the reasons for this calamity. Maritime experts from across Europe embarked on a mission to retrieve the 56-meter-long vessel, as announced by Euronews on Monday.
"We're gettin' 'er done with 'elp from sea robots and powerful cranes. We're expectin' the operations to last a week or so before we lift this bad boy." Cap'n Nicola Silvestri from the Italian Coast Guard assured the press on Sunday. A powerhouse maritime crane, the Hebo Lift 10, hailed from Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and set sail for Sicily over the weekend.
What happened to Mike Lynch? The land crew is composed of logistics specialists, along with around 70 European maritime experts, assembled in Sicily. The retrieval of the Bayesian, weighing 473,000 kg, commenced eventually, after only 16 minutes of soakin' in the sea and just before dawn on August 19. She was moored about 300 meters from the small fishin' port of Porticello, east of Palermo, Sicily, before the catastrophe.
Outta the yacht's full complement of 12 passengers and 10 crew members, only 7 remained when the ship started sinkin'. Nearby boats assissted the survivors in rafts, thank goodness. Italian authorities are workin' on the investigation to ascertain the cause of the sinking, with the captain and two crew members suspected in the mess.
The Bayesian will be transported to Termini Imerese for an essential forensic examination, which is vital for continued manslaughter investigations and other inquiries by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) and the UK inquest into the deaths.
Further Facts:
- Salvage operations are under the supervision of the Italian Coast Guard and employ Sonar technology, Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs), and the Hebo Lift 10[1][2].
- Three crew members - Captain James Cutfield, Chief Engineer Timothy Parker Eaton, and Deckhand Matthew Griffiths - are under official investigation. They face charges of negligence, recklessness, and malpractice for their handling of the crisis[3].
- The sinking was linked to a sudden downburst during a thunderstorm[2][3]. The investigation aims to determine the crew's response and if they were underprepared[3].
- Once recovered, the Bayesian will be examined by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) and the UK inquest into the deaths[3].
- The salvage operation of the sunken yacht, the Bayesian, is being supervised by the Italian Coast Guard and utilizes Sonar technology, Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs), and the powerhouse crane, Hebo Lift 10.
- Three crew members, Captain James Cutfield, Chief Engineer Timothy Parker Eaton, and Deckhand Matthew Griffiths, are under official investigation for negligence, recklessness, and malpractice in relation to the sinking of the Bayesian.
- The sinking of the Bayesian is believed to be linked to a sudden downburst during a thunderstorm, and the investigation aims to determine the crew's response and whether they were underprepared for such adverse weather conditions.
