The investigation into the sinking of the luxury yacht Bayesian on the Sicilian coast has resumed, with authorities working to uncover the cause of the incident.
The yacht sank in a storm on Monday morning, resulting in the discovery of five bodies inside the wreck, with the whereabouts of the missing sixth person remaining unknown. According to Salvatore Cocina, head of Sicily’s civil protection agency, the five bodies found so far have only been recovered. The incident has left many families and friends in shock, with technology tycoon Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah, as well as Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy, and Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda, still unaccounted for. The search effort has been ongoing since Monday morning, with a helicopter drafted in to help, and divers from the local fire service, naval units, and cave divers all taking part.
Tragic Yacht Sinking Off Sicilian Coast (Image via Getty)
The operation to recover the bodies has been described as complex, with divers limited to 12-minute underwater shifts. Of the 22 passengers and crew on board, 15 were rescued after escaping on to a lifeboat, and survivors have been recuperating at a hotel complex in Porticello, where authorities are gathering witness statements. As the investigation continues, local and international media have reported some identities of the recovered bodies, but authorities have not confirmed them. The priority currently is finding the missing, and an investigation will take place in due course.
Inspections of the yacht’s internal hull were conducted on Wednesday morning, and a team of four British inspectors from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch arrived to look into the cause of the incident. The boat trip was a celebration of Mr. Lynch’s acquittal in a fraud case in the US, and the tragedy has left many people in shock. The search for the missing person will continue until they are found, and the investigation will continue until the cause of the incident is determined. The authorities are working diligently to uncover the cause of the incident and bring closure to the families affected, with the hope that the missing individual will be found soon.
