Marine experts have begun the recovery of the superyacht Bayesian, which sank off the coast of Italy last summer. The incident, which occurred near Sicily on August 19, 2022, resulted in the tragic deaths of tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, his daughter Hannah, and five others.
The recovery operation will utilize two floating cranes, named Hebo Lift 2 and Hebo Lift 10. The latter is one of Europe’s most powerful maritime cranes and recently arrived in Termini Imerese, Sicily, from Rotterdam. The Italian coast guard is overseeing the operation to ensure the safety of all personnel involved.
The recovery is expected to take between 20 and 25 days. Following this, investigators will examine the wreckage to determine the cause of the sinking. The yacht, measuring 183 feet in length and weighing 473 tonnes, reportedly went down due to a sudden and powerful gust of wind during a thunderstorm.
Captain Nicola Silvestri of the coast guard mentioned that the yacht’s 246-foot aluminum mast, the second tallest in the world, will be cut down to make it easier to bring the hull to the surface.
The sinking claimed the lives of several prominent individuals, including 59-year-old Mike Lynch, his 18-year-old daughter, and Jonathan Bloomer, the chairman of Morgan Stanley International, along with his wife. The ship’s cook and another couple also perished in the tragedy. In the immediate aftermath, 15 of the 22 people on board were rescued, while one body was recovered, and six others were initially reported missing. A search effort located the bodies of the missing individuals by August 23.
Currently, the captain and two crew members are under investigation regarding the circumstances of the sinking. At a recent pre-inquest review, the Marine Accident Investigation Branch indicated that it aims to publish an interim report soon, with a final report expected in the coming months.