Italian Prosecutors Blame Crew Error, Not Storm, In Fatal Bayesian Superyacht Sinking That Killed 7

Italian prosecutors have found that the sinking of the sailing superyacht Bayesian off Sicily in August 2024 was likely caused by crew actions rather than severe weather, according to findings from an expert report commissioned during the investigation.

The report, cited by British media, says the weather that night was “little more than a squall,” meaning a sudden increase in wind speed before thunderstorms.

Investigators believe this should have been manageable. Instead, they point to improper actions by the crew, including underestimating the conditions and not activating certain safety systems correctly.

The public prosecutor’s office in Termini Imerese has been investigating the case since the incident.

Officials have not yet released the full report publicly, and there was no response to requests for comment at the time of reporting.

The findings are different from the earlier interim report issued by the UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) in May 2025.

That report said the yacht was hit by sudden and strong winds, possibly exceeding 63 to 70 knots, which pushed the vessel beyond a recoverable angle and led to capsizing.

The MAIB had asked the University of Southampton’s Wolfson Unit for Marine Technology to study the vessel’s stability.

Their analysis suggested that if strong winds hit the yacht from the side, it could capsize under certain conditions.

The report also noted that the yacht’s stability booklet did not clearly explain the risks of operating with the keel raised in squalls or strong gusts. Because of this, those risks were not fully known to the crew or owner.

On the night of the incident, Bayesian was anchored about 300 meters from the shore near Porticello, Sicily.

The vessel had its sails furled and centerboard raised, which was reportedly in line with its stability guidance.

Weather conditions began to worsen around 3 a.m., with winds reaching about 30 knots before the situation escalated. At around 4:06 a.m. on August 19, the yacht suddenly capsized to starboard.

By about 4:30 a.m., it had sunk in water around 50 meters deep. Security cameras on land captured the sudden change in weather and the yacht’s mast lights going out.

There were guests and crew onboard, including British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, his wife Angela Bacares, their daughter Hannah, and several friends and business associates.

The captain and nine crew members were also on board. Fifteen people managed to escape, but seven died. The victims included Lynch, his daughter, four of his associates, and the yacht’s chef, Recaldo Thomas.

Italian prosecutors are still considering possible charges, including negligent shipwreck and manslaughter.

The captain, James Cutfield, and two crew members, Tim Eaton and Matthew Griffith, are under investigation.

Giovanni Costantino, chairman of The Italian Sea Group, which owns the yacht builder Perini Navi, has said in multiple interviews that such vessels are effectively unsinkable.

He has claimed the crew failed to follow basic procedures, including lowering the keel and securing hatches, which may have allowed water to enter the yacht.

In January, The Italian Sea Group filed a lawsuit against the captain, two crew members, and the yacht’s holding company, seeking €456 million in damages for reputational harm and loss of sales.

Some early witness accounts described the weather as extremely severe, but the prosecutors’ experts now say it did not reach a level that alone would explain the loss of the vessel.

There has also been discussion about whether doors or hatches were left open, which could have sped up flooding once the yacht tilted.

Rescue teams worked for days in difficult conditions. Divers were limited to short underwater shifts because of the depth, making the operation slow and complex.

The bodies of the victims were recovered during the search.

References: Tbs news, myknkuehnenagel