Italian authorities announce first important results of investigation into tragic ship sinking for Bayes manslaughter

Italian prosecutors have announced their first major findings in the manslaughter investigation into the Bayesian disaster – after the luxury yacht was deemed “unsinkable”.

The ship sank in the early hours of Monday morning when it was caught in a storm off the northern coast of Sicily. Seven people lost their lives.

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The body of the last missing passenger, 18-year-old Hannah Lynch, was recovered on Friday. Authorities are now turning their attention to how the horror unfolded.

Termini Imerese Attorney General Ambrogio Cartosio said on Saturday that investigators could not “rule out anything” and that it could be “murder.”

He said: “We feel connected to the families; the families have suffered this loss.

“And what would be even more painful would be if, in the course of the investigation, it turned out that this tragedy, this terrible tragedy, was caused by behavior that was not quite right in view of the responsibility that everyone bears.”

“I would like to officially inform you that the prosecutor has put forward the hypothesis that there may indeed be a question of murder.

“But this is just the beginning of the investigation… We cannot rule out anything.”

The focus of the investigation is the responsibility of the crew.

Prosecutors confirmed that they are “focusing on this particular aspect.”

Investigators want to find out “how much they (the crew) knew and to what extent all people (passengers) were warned.”

How a yacht the size of the Bayesian 56-meter-long yacht could capsize so quickly and sink to the seabed is unclear.

A nearby sailboat remained unscathed while the Bayesian sped toward its doom, despite being classified as “unsinkable” by the head of the manufacturer Perini Navi.

Cartosio described the accident as a “very serious tragedy” and praised the divers for their “high level of professionalism and courage”.

He said it was “clear that people were trying to hide in the huts on the left.”

Sicilian investigators have spoken to the 15 survivors, including Captain James Cutfield, to find out whether proper safety precautions were taken given the wild weather forecast.

None of them has commented publicly on the causes of the shipping accident.

Marine experts are puzzling over how the boat could have sunk so quickly despite claims it could have withstood a storm.

Giovanni Costantino, head of Perini Navi, criticized the ship's crew for making crucial “mistakes” before the ship sank within minutes.

Mr Costantino told The Sun: “Modern sailing vessels, especially high-tech ones like the Perini, are designed for the utmost safety and stability.

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“Even under very critical conditions, a sailing yacht like the Bayesian will return to an upright position if procedures are followed.

“However, if the ship takes on water, this stability is at risk.

“The investigators will determine where the water entered.

“What is certain is that the ship took on hundreds of thousands of litres of water.”

A tornado that swept across the ocean was blamed for turning the Bayesian model on its head, but Mr Constantino disputed the claim that the tornado was not predicted, saying it was “widely predicted”.

Hannah, the 18-year-old student, died along with her father, 59-year-old tech tycoon Mike Lynch, and five other people when the yacht sank on Monday.

Hannah and Mike – nicknamed “Britain’s Bill Gates” – went down along with Jonathan Bloomer, the chairman of Morgan Stanley International Bank, his wife Judy Bloomer, Chris Morvillo, a lawyer at Clifford Chance, and his wife Neda Morvillo.

Fire chief Girolamo Bentivoglio said divers from across Italy had been recruited to recover the bodies found in huts on the left side.

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He said the specialized divers had to contend with “very poor visibility due to the weather conditions.”

He added: “The yacht obviously turned to the right and they (people) obviously tried to get to the other side and then sought refuge in their cabins.”

“We found four or five bodies in the cabin on the left and another in the third cabin on the left. They were obviously in the upper part of the wreckage.”

Autopsies still need to be performed and since the wreck is 50 meters below the surface, the timeline for the investigation is also unclear.

It is assumed that the victims were probably asleep when the ship capsized and therefore could not escape in time.

Cartosio revealed that the owner of the ship Sir Robert, near which the Bayesian ship sank, acted heroically in rescuing the 15 people who came out alive.

He said: “What interests us is the fact that the Coast Guard was notified at 4:32 a.m. that there was a problem at sea.”

“And the Coast Guard sent a boat and the yacht we are talking about had already sunk.

“There were some divers who were actually picked up by another vessel that was 200m away from the Bayesian.

“I believe that the owner of the ship actually managed to save most of the people on board.”

Hannah's heartbroken sister Esme paid tribute to her “best friend” after the teenager's body was brought ashore

She said: “Hannah would often burst into my bedroom and lie down next to me.

“Sometimes smiling radiantly, sometimes cheeky, sometimes seeking advice.”

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