Moment when the Bayesian yacht got caught in a storm
Do you really support
independent journalism
Learn moreClose
Our mission is to provide unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds the powerful to account and exposes the truth.
Whether it's $5 or $50, every contribution counts.
Support us in practicing journalism without an agenda.
Five bodies have now been found inside the sunken Bayes superyacht, while the search for the last missing passenger continues.
The boat sank in a severe storm in the early hours of Monday morning. Among those missing are British billionaire Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah, Morgan Stanley International chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy Bloomer, Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda Morvillo.
The bodies of four people, including a “strongly built man,” were recovered on Wednesday morning. The head of Sicily's civil protection agency, Salvatore Cocina, said efforts to bring a fifth person to shore were “underway,” while the whereabouts of the missing sixth person were unknown.
The identities of the recovered bodies have not yet been confirmed by authorities, although local and international media reported that some had been identified.
Firefighters described the operation as “complex.” Divers were limited to 12 minutes of underwater shifts and debris made access to the huts difficult.
The death of one man, the boat's cook Recaldo Thomas, was confirmed on Monday, while another 15 people survived the accident.
Did this story touch you? Email tara.cobham@independent.co.uk
Important points
Show last update 1724292000
Survivors recover in the hotel complex in Porticello
Survivors recover in a hotel complex in Porticello.
The authorities have collected witness statements from them there.
Tara Cobham22 August 2024 03:00
1724288400
The strange life of Mike Lynch – who believed dogs could read our minds
He was terrified of dying in a US prison. Not because he was guilty – he had spent £30 million on legal fees to prove his innocence – but because winning a case against the US Department of Justice is almost unheard of in the US. His chances of winning were estimated at 0.5 per cent. But after 13 years of gathering detailed evidence to support his confession, he was acquitted and it felt like a miracle.
Back in Britain, Lynch celebrated his second life. Through tears, he told an interviewer that even the traffic in London seemed magical. “I just think it's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen,” he said.
Jonathan Margolis writes:
Tara Cobham22 August 2024 02:00
1724284800
Full story: Five bodies found in the wreck of the sunken superyacht Bayesian off the coast of Sicily
Of the five bodies found on Wednesday, only four have been recovered so far, said the head of the Sicilian civil protection, Salvatore Cocina, on Wednesday evening. The whereabouts of the sixth missing person are still unknown.
British technology magnate Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah were among six people missing after his ship sank near the Sicilian capital Palermo at around 5 a.m. on Monday after being caught in a violent tornado, known as a waterspout.
Read the full story here:
Tara Cobham22 August 2024 01:00
1724281200
In pictures: Four bodies recovered from Bayesian superyacht are brought ashore
Italian firefighters bring the body of one of the victims of the British-flagged ship Bayesian ashore in a green bag (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
Rescue teams brought four bodies ashore on Wednesday (PA cable)
Six people were missing after the sailing yacht was hit by a violent sudden storm and sank in the early hours of Monday morning (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
Tara Cobham22 August 2024 00:00
1724277651
Bayesian’s captain described as “a very good and highly esteemed sailor”
The captain of the Bayesian, James Cutfield, was a “very good sailor” and “highly valued” in the Mediterranean, his brother Mark told the New Zealand Herald.
The 51-year-old New Zealander survived the shipwreck.
Tara Cobham21 August 2024 23:00
1724275034
Captain of yacht that helped rescue 15 survivors of Bayesian disaster recounts ordeal
The captain of a yacht who helped rescue 15 people from the stricken Bayesian superyacht described how his crew spotted the distress rocket fired from a life raft.
Karsten Borner said his ship, the Sir Robert BP, was about 150 to 200 meters from the Bayesian when the “extreme” weather struck.
He said his boat used its engine to stay in position and the crew noticed the Bayesian rocket's disappearance before a passenger on his yacht spotted the flare.
Mr Borner said they sent out their dinghy, which found the life raft and brought the occupants back to his yacht.
He told Sky News: “We couldn't see them anymore and they disappeared from radar. We were busy keeping our own ship on course. When we couldn't see the ship anymore, we knew something was very wrong.”
He said they only found the life raft when the dinghy left.
He said: “It turned out to be the life raft, a 12-person life raft with 15 people in it, including a baby. They transferred to our dinghy and we took them back to our ship. There we took good care of them, gave them dry clothes, towels, blankets, tea and coffee and so on and looked after them.”
Mr Borner said he helped the Coast Guard launch its search and rescue mission for the other occupants of the Bayesian.
He added that the captain of the Bayesian had told him the yacht sank within two minutes, but he had since seen a video showing the sinking within 60 seconds.
He said: “The engineer and the captain had no explanation as to why the ship sank so quickly. My personal opinion is that it should not have tipped like that, it defies all logic.”
He also questioned the safety of the 75-metre-high Bayesian mast, adding: “I don't think it's safe to build these masts.”
Describing the strength of the storm and the squalls that hit his yacht and the Bayesian, he said: “They were very close and we were hit very hard, very hard and they were hit just as hard. It was extreme, it was extremely strong.”
Tara Cobham21 August 2024 22:17
1724274051
Who are the people who are missing?
Five bodies have been found during the search for six missing people after a luxury yacht sank off the coast of Sicily.
The island's civil protection agency confirmed on Wednesday that four of the five bodies had been recovered and a sixth person was still missing.
Earlier, the body of chef Recaldo Thomas was recovered from the superyacht on Monday.
Here is what we know in detail about the people who were on board:
Tara Cobham21 August 2024 22:00
1724270554
Identity of recovered bodies not yet confirmed by authorities
The identities of the recovered bodies have not yet been confirmed by authorities, although local and international media reported that some had been identified.
Technology magnate Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah were among those missing after the yacht named Bayesian sank around 5 a.m. on Monday.
Tara Cobham21 August 2024 21:02
1724267700
Dozens of rescue workers lined the harbor as bodies were brought ashore
When the bodies were brought ashore, dozens of members of the Italian coast guard and local fire brigade were stationed in the harbor.
Ambulances, accompanied by police cars, were seen picking them up.
Hundreds of locals gathered to watch as church bells rang.
Tara Cobham21 August 2024 20:15
1724265721
Search ended for today, one person still missing, confirms disaster control agency
The head of the Sicilian civil protection agency, Salvatore Cocina, told the PA news agency that search operations had ended for today and would continue on Thursday.
He confirmed that five bodies were found but only four were recovered.
One person is still missing, Mr Cocina said.
Tara Cobham21 August 2024 19:42
Comments are closed.