Captain of Bayesian superyacht is investigated for ‘manslaughter and shipwreck’ after tragedy which left seven dead
Prosecutors in Italy have launched an official investigation into the captain of the £30 million Bayesian superyacht that sank off the coast of Sicily last week, killing British tech billionaire Mike Lynch and six others.
Cutfield, a 51-year-old New Zealander, is being investigated for manslaughter and shipwreck, Italian newspapers La Repubblica and Corriere della Sera reported today.
In Italy, if someone is under investigation, it does not mean that he or she is guilty, nor does it automatically mean that formal charges will be brought.
Six passengers, including Mr Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah, died along with chef Recaldo Thomas after the British pleasure yacht capsized and ended up on its side 50 metres below in the early hours of Monday morning.
It is thought that a weather phenomenon called a downburst, a violent downward blast of wind that then spreads outward when it hits the ground, often caused by thunderstorms and mistaken for tornadoes, played a role.
James Cutfield, a 51-year-old New Zealander, was in charge of the Bayesian when it sank in a storm off the coast of Sicily
A handout photo provided on August 19 by the Perini Navi Press Office shows the ‘Bayesian’ sailboat in Palermo, Sicily, Italy
British tech magnate Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah both died in the Bayesian tragedy when the superyacht sank off the coast of Sicily
Recaldo Thomas, chef on the Bayesian, was the first person rescued after the yacht sank Monday
Judy and Jonathan Bloomer died on the Bayesian when it capsized in the water
The bodies of Neda and Chris Morvillo, pictured in 2018, were also recovered last week
Although the yacht was hit by the very sudden meteorological event, it is likely that there was multiple manslaughter and causing a shipwreck through negligence, Ambrogio Cartosio, chief prosecutor for Termini Imerese, said on Saturday.
Under maritime law, the captain is fully responsible for the ship, its crew and the safety of all persons on board.
Cutfield and his eight surviving crew members have not yet commented on the disaster.
The charges follow a press conference by Italian prosecutors on Saturday, which suggested the victims were unable to escape because they may have been asleep.
They had climbed to one side of the ship in search of air pockets in a desperate attempt to survive, while Hannah, who had secured a place at Oxford University, died alone in a cabin.
At the Termini Imerese court in Palermo, Mr Cartosio did not rule out charges of manslaughter.
The Public Prosecution Service is investigating, among other things, whether the nine surviving crew members raised the alarm before escaping.
Mr Cartosio promised to determine the responsibility of each crew member and warned: ‘For me it is likely that there were violations, that it could be manslaughter.’
He said there were “behaviours that were not quite right in terms of the responsibility that everyone had”, before adding: “There could indeed be a case of murder. But this is the beginning of the investigation, we cannot rule anything out at all.”
Italian prosecutors held a press conference on Saturday revealing that the victims were unable to escape because they were asleep during the storm
Hannah Lynch was found dead in her own cabin, 50 meters below the surface of the Mediterranean Sea
Search for ships returning to shore Friday after Hannah Lynch’s body discovered
The bodies of the victims were tragically found last week in ‘cramped places’ with furniture on top. Diving teams brought them ashore one by one. A total of 120 dives were made to the wreck on the seabed.
Fifteen of the 22 people on board the ship, including Hannah’s mother Angela Bacares, 57, managed to escape in a life raft.
This is a breaking news story. More to come.