Current:Home > FinanceManslaughter probe announced in Sicily yacht wreck that killed 7 -GrowthInsight
Manslaughter probe announced in Sicily yacht wreck that killed 7
Rekubit View
Date:2025-04-06 17:34:23
Italian authorities are opening an investigation into whether the sinking of the luxury yacht Bayesian, which killed seven people including British tech tycoon Mike Lynch, was manslaughter.
Prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio said Saturday that the investigation is not targeting specific individuals so far, but that it was "plausible" that the crimes of manslaughter or causing a shipwreck through negligence were committed.
The Bayesian went down off the port of Porticello, near Sicily's capital of Palermo, after an unexpected storm early Monday morning. Fifteen people, including Lynch's wife and the owner of the yacht Angela Bacares, were rescued from the water.
A frantic search of the water and the sunken vessel ultimately recovered the bodies of seven people over the next few days: Lynch, his 18-year-old daughter Hannah; lawyer Christopher Morvillo, an American, and his wife Neda Morvillo; Morgan Stanley executive Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy Bloomer; and Recaldo Thomas, who was the ship's chef. Lynch had recently been acquitted in a fraud trial in the U.S.; Christopher Morvillo was one of his lawyers and Jonathan Bloomer served as a character witness on Lynch's behalf.
Investigation underway to find out how yacht sank
Investigators will pull the sunken ship from the sea bottom, where it is lying on its side about 160 feet down.
"It's in the interests of the owners and managers of the ship to salvage it," Cartosio said, adding that it's not out of the question for the investigation to shift to focus on a person.
The catastrophe has puzzled naval experts, who say the yacht should have withstood a storm of this magnitude. No other boats in the area reported damage from the storm.
Survivors, including the Bayesian's captain James Cutfield, have been questioned by authorities about what happened on the ship, but haven't yet spoken publicly. Cutfield was "extremely cooperative," Raffaele Cammarano, another prosecutor, said Saturday.
A maritime legal expert told USA TODAY the disaster could lead to lawsuits and possible criminal charges against Cutfield. Mitchell Stoller, a maritime expert witness and captain, said it was Cutfield's duty to monitor weather and prepare to maneuver the boat through rough waters instead of staying anchored. Italian authorities have said the Bayesian was likely anchored before the disaster. It's not clear if Cutfield has retained an attorney who can speak on his behalf, and messages seeking comment to a Facebook profile appearing to belong to him went unreturned on Friday.
WHY DID THE BAYESIAN SINK?Investigators seek answers to why the luxury superyacht sank in storm
"Indescribable, unreasonable errors" by the crew, not issues with the boat's design, led to its sinking, Giovanni Costantino, CEO of The Italian Sea Group, which owns Perini, told Reuters.
Cammarano said the passengers were likely asleep when the storm hit, which could be why several were unable to escape. The bodies of most were found on the left side of the boat, where they may have gone to try and find pockets of air as it sank, Girolamo Bentivoglio Fiandra of Palermo's Fire Brigade said.
Contributing: Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY; Reuters
veryGood! (33)
Related
- Selena Gomez's "Weird Uncles" Steve Martin and Martin Short React to Her Engagement
- The Latest: Trump faces new indictment as Harris seeks to defy history for VPs
- RFK Jr. appeals ruling that knocked him off New York’s presidential election ballot
- Kadarius Toney cut by Kansas City as Chiefs' WR shake-up continues
- Selena Gomez engaged to Benny Blanco after 1 year together: 'Forever begins now'
- The Daily Money: Pricing the American Dream
- Michigan mayor dismissed from lawsuit over city’s handling of lead in water
- Instagram profiles are getting a musical update. Here's what to know
- Charges tied to China weigh on GM in Q4, but profit and revenue top expectations
- Report says instructor thought gun was empty before firing fatal shot at officer during training
Ranking
- All That You Wanted to Know About She’s All That
- Reports: Veteran pitcher Rich Hill to rejoin Red Sox at age 44
- The new 2025 Lincoln Navigator is here and it's spectacular
- Walmart's 2024 Labor Day Mega Sale: Score a $65 Mattress + Save Up to 78% on Apple, Bissell, Dyson & More
- DoorDash steps up driver ID checks after traffic safety complaints
- Simone Biles Poses With All 11 of Her Olympic Medals in Winning Photos
- 4 fatal shootings by Mississippi law officers were justified, state’s attorney general says
- The new 2025 Lincoln Navigator is here and it's spectacular
Recommendation
'Survivor' 47 finale, part one recap: 2 players were sent home. Who's left in the game?
Mae Whitman Gives Birth, Names Her First Baby After Parenthood Costar
SpaceX delays Polaris Dawn again, this time for 'unfavorable weather' for splashdown
US Open Day 2: Dan Evans wins marathon match; Li Tu holds his own against Carlos Alcaraz
Nearly half of US teens are online ‘constantly,’ Pew report finds
Water buffalo corralled days after it escaped in Iowa suburb and was shot by police
FEMA opens disaster recovery centers in Vermont after last month’s floods
Nick Cannon and Brittany Bell's Advanced Son Golden Is Starting 4th Grade at 7 Years Old