Yacht Maker: Mike Lynch’s Vessel Sank in 16 Minutes, Crew Could Rescue

In a tragic incident, Mike Lynch’s superyacht, the Bayesian, sank off the coast of Sicily, leading to the deaths of Lynch and at least six others. The 183-foot yacht went down in the early hours of Monday during stormy conditions near Palermo, Italy.

While a total of fifteen individuals, including Lynch’s wife, were rescued, divers confirmed that seven people lost their lives, with Lynch’s 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, still unaccounted for as of the latest reports.

According to Giovanni Costantino, the CEO of The Italian Sea Group, which owns Perini Navi—the builder of the Bayesian—this vessel was designed to be “absolutely stable,” even boasting the second-tallest mast globally. He emphasized that the yacht should not have capsized.

Costantino revealed to the Financial Times that the yacht took approximately 16 minutes to sink. “The torture lasted 16 minutes. It went down, not in one minute as some scientists have said,” he asserted, referencing evidence from tracking charts.

Alongside his comments about the sinking duration, Costantino criticized the yacht’s protocol during emergency situations. He stated that the captain should have secured the vessel and gathered all passengers in a safe area, preventing potentially vulnerable individuals from being in their cabins during adverse weather.

The Italian Coastguard continues to investigate the sinking’s specific causes. Authorities noted that a severe storm was present at the time of the incident. However, experts suggest various factors contributed to the disaster.

One possibility includes the summer heat, which may have caused passengers to leave windows and hatches open, allowing water to quickly flood the yacht during the storm. “The boat sank because it took on water,” Costantino explained. He suggested that a large opening above the waterline may have exacerbated flooding.

Among those who survived the ordeal, nine were crew members, while one crew member—a chef named Recaldo Thomas—was confirmed dead shortly after the incident. Maritime lawyer Stephen Askins noted that crew members were likely awake when the sinking initially began, while passengers may have still been asleep below deck.

The conditions on the yacht worsened as water inundated through open hatches. “There is no other possible explanation. If maneuvered properly, the boat would have comfortably handled the weather,” said Costantino.

Safety concerns surrounding the Bayesian are underscored by views expressed by experts in maritime search and rescue. Matthew Schanck described the incident as “shocking,” given that Lynch’s yacht was regarded as “modern” and “state-of-the-art,” with compliance to commercial safety regulations.

Witness accounts reported seeing a waterspout, a rare meteorological phenomenon resembling a tornado made of wind and water, shortly before the yacht sank. Schanck pointed out that while this theory appeared plausible, it raised questions regarding how the crew might have missed seeing it if witnesses had noticed the phenomenon.

As search efforts continue, the maritime community is left grappling with the implications of this disaster and examining the factors that led to the tragic loss of life aboard the Bayesian.

Source: Business Insider