Autopsies Reveal Superyacht Shipwreck Victims Suffocated in Cabins

On September 5, reports emerged detailing the initial findings of autopsies conducted on the victims of the Bayesian superyacht tragedy off the coast of Sicily last month. It has been revealed that some of the deceased individuals died from asphyxiation after enduring a period of survival within an air pocket in the sunken vessel.

These autopsies, which involved four of the seven victims, were carried out by Italian authorities and completed on Wednesday. Among the names identified were British attorney Chris Morvillo, his spouse Neda, as well as Morgan Stanley banking executive Jonathan Bloomer and his wife, Anne Elizabeth Judith.

According to CNN, citing anonymous officials, all four victims died as a result of “dry drowning,” indicating suffocation without the presence of water in their lungs. This aligns with information shared with the Guardian, suggesting that the Morvillos did not exhibit water in their trachea or stomach, implying they survived for a significant period after the yacht sank.

The tragic incident claimed the lives of these four individuals alongside three others, including the vessel’s owner, British tech billionaire Mike Lynch, and his 19-year-old daughter Hannah Lynch. The luxury yacht, valued at $39 million, sank rapidly after being struck by a powerful downdraft resulting from a storm while anchored near Porticello, a fishing village in Sicily.

Six of the deceased bodies were recovered by divers from the depths of the wreck, located 164 feet underwater, after a comprehensive four-day air-sea search and rescue operation.

A source cited by the Guardian indicated that the autopsy findings suggested the Morvillos suffered “death by confinement,” corroborating the accounts from rescuers who reported finding passengers trapped inside the cabins of the wrecked vessel. However, this source also mentioned that the autopsy results are still deemed “provisional” and subject to further confirmation.

As of Thursday afternoon, Italy’s official Institute of Forensic Medicine had yet to release any formal statements regarding the autopsy outcomes.

Furthermore, investigations are underway concerning the ship’s captain, the engineering officer, and the sailor who was on watch at the time of the disaster. They may potentially face manslaughter charges in connection with the tragic sinking.