Chilling footage of divers exploring the doomed Bayesian superyacht has been released for the first time, two months after it tragically sank off the coast of Porticello, Sicily. The video shows a team of divers investigating the remains of the £30 million luxury yacht that claimed seven lives on August 19.
The divers are seen holding onto a rope as they descend into the water and make their way to the wreckage site, which lies 160ft beneath the surface. They then swim through an opening and drift down ghostly corridors, through hatches and into the rooms of the yacht, which is resting on its starboard side on the seabed.
The footage was broadcast by Italian investigative TV show Quarta Repubblica on Monday, October 14. It comes just weeks after inquests opened into the deaths of four of the seven victims, including tech billionaire Mike Lynch, his daughter Hannah, Morgan Stanley International Chief Jonathan Bloomer and his wife, Judy.
Hannah, who was set to begin her studies at Oxford University this month, was the last victim to be found, her body discovered four days after the yacht sank, hidden behind a mattress below deck. Mr Lynch, who was recently acquitted of a multi-million fraud case against Hewlett Packard, is reported to have drowned, according to Suffolk Coroners court. However, the cause of death for his daughter and the two other victims remains unconfirmed.
Prosecutors investigating the sinking believe the yacht, Bayesian, was “engulfed by a wall of water” during a freak storm, causing it to sink. Leaked details from the preliminary report suggest the yacht was overwhelmed by water pouring over the main deck and down the spiral staircase into the lower levels.
Investigators are examining whether the Bayesian’s 75m mast could have contributed to the disaster, as it reportedly tilted “45 degrees, before tilting a full 90 degrees” and sinking. Wind speeds were measured at around 60mph at the time of the tragedy, with the Bayesian drifting 400 metres, slowly tilting and allowing seawater to flood over the decks and into the cabins where six of the seven victims were found.
The Bayesian now rests on the seabed, encircled by a permanent coastguard security cordon, with plans to salvage the vessel in the forthcoming weeks. Fifteen individuals, including Mr Lynch’s spouse Angela Bacares, survived the calamity. New Zealand captain James Cutfield, British chief engineer Tim Parker Eaton, and watchman Matthew Griffiths are under formal investigation for multiple manslaughter and causing a disaster.
Detective Superintendent Mike Brown from Suffolk Police has stated that since the Bayesian was registered in Britain, the Marine Accident Investigation Branch is also probing the sinking, while Italian authorities have initiated a criminal case. The inquest into the deaths of the four victims has been postponed for further investigations until April 15, 2025.