Sicily yacht tragedy: Italian prosecutors probe manslaughter charges as final body recovered
Aug. 23, 2024, 5:02 p.m.
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After the recovery of the Mike Lynch’s 18-year-old daughter’s body, Italian prosecutors are investigating possible manslaughter charges in connection with the sinking of the superyacht Bayesian, according to The Guardian report.
The Bayesian capsized off the coast of Sicily early Monday morning amidst severe storms, leading to the deaths of seven individuals, including British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch.
After a four-day search, the Italian coastguard announced on Friday that they had recovered the body of Lynch’s daughter Hannah, the last person missing from the luxury yacht.
Advertisement According to The Guardian, citing the PA Media news agency, a green body bag was observed being transported from the sinking site to Porticello just before 1 pm local time.
The public prosecutor in Termini Imerese is examining the sinking on charges of shipwreck, disaster, and multiple homicides, according to a report citing Italian news agency Adnkronos.
These charges are comparable to manslaughter in the UK, with the specific offense of causing a shipwreck potentially resulting in a prison sentence of up to 12 years.
Prosecutors are scheduled to hold a press conference regarding the incident in Termini Imerese on Saturday afternoon, The Guardian reported.
Mike Lynch, 59, the founder of Autonomy Corporation, was celebrating his acquittal on US fraud charges when the 56-meter yacht capsized around 5 am local time on Monday.
According to the report, citing Adnkronos, investigators believe the yacht submerged nose-first before gradually tilting onto its starboard side. Individuals involved in the recovery efforts stated that the victims were located outside their cabins.
“The passengers attempted to find ways to escape, reaching the opposite side of the vessel they were on,” the report quoted Adnkronos as saying.
“But the water had already reached the cabins and five of them were found in that direction,” it added.
Five victims were discovered in locations different from those reported by survivors.
Search efforts for Hannah, the last missing person, resumed on Friday morning, with divers now examining the seabed around the wreckage.
Vincenzo Zagarola of the Italian coastguard described the search as incredibly difficult, comparing the sunken yacht to an “18-storey building filled with water.”
Carlo Dall’Oppio, the head of Italy’s firefighting department, said that the search for the teenager was hampered by obstacles caused by furniture.
Among the deceased were Jonathan Bloomer, the head of Morgan Stanley International, his wife Judy, Chris Morvillo, a lawyer for Clifford Chance, his wife Neda, and the yacht's chef, Recaldo Thomas.
With inputs from agencies
