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The late British big name Mike Lynch’s sunken superyacht Bayesian is set to be lifted from the bottom of the ocean by the end of the month in an operation to gather new evidence about the accident that killed him and six other people last year.
The 56-metre boat – the builder described it as “unsinking” – sank last August while anchored hundreds of meters from the Sicily coast.
Italian authorities recently approved plans by two Dutch rescue companies to lift a 540-ton wreck.
The death of his daughter, his friend and crew Lynch led to criminal investigations into multiple crews and other lawsuits as Italian criminal prosecutors attempt to determine what went wrong and who was responsible for the accident that shocked the world of Yachting close with British technology investors.
The Italian Sea Group, the company that built the yacht, denied that the boat had any design flaws, and was trying to lock the liability on its crew, suggesting that someone left open near the watermark that could have allowed a large amount of water to enter the hull.
The prosecutor’s office at Termini Imerese on the Sicily coast is investigating the potential manslaughter and “negligent stern” of yacht captain James Cutfield and engineer Tim Parker Eaton and crew Matthew Griffiths, but no formal charges have been brought against them. Those investigating have not publicly commented on the investigation.
Lifting is set to turn into a media spectacle, as reported by the Italian press, which reports that tourists and television crews from around the world have booked local hotels to watch the rescue.
Mike Lynch, Right, and his daughter Hannah family handouts via AFP via ©Getty Images
The first barge will arrive at Termini Imerese on April 26, and will begin preliminary safety operations to be located near the wreck, Coast Guard officials said. A second barge with a crane pulling up the wreck will arrive later.
The hull lifting will likely occur around mid-May, officials said. The recovery is expected to gather additional evidence in the case and allow local fishermen and residents to return to the area marked by a wreck, which has been secured (but has been secured) with 18,000 liters of diesel.
According to those familiar with the issue, Bayesian will be lifted by a joint venture between Dutch rescue companies Hebo Maritiemservice and Smit Salvage. The companies that neither comment on future operations were selected by the UK consultancy TMC Marine, appointed by Bayesian insurance company British Marine.
The companies involved have a lot of experience. In 2021, SMIT improved the 200,000 tonne container ship it had given so far and was removed. This caused the Suez Canal to disrupt global transportation, but the following year it began collecting ships loaded with 4,000 vehicles, including Bentley, Odis and Porsche.
The plan was approved by the Termini Imerese criminal prosecutors and the Italian Coast Guard. The costs will be borne by the Royal Marines.
According to people familiar with the plan, the boat is lifted with all fuel by a crane operated from the platform with the help of an inflatable balloon. As yachts are reportedly considered the highest in the world, the 72m mast, the famous yacht, is pre-cut by a robot equipped with a remotely controlled saw.
A barge then transports the yacht to a nearby warehouse where investigators can ultimately inspect the artifacts in person and collect evidence that was previously difficult to recover under water.
Smit Salvage, one of the companies that undertake Bayesian Salvage, rebuilt a container ship stuck at Suez Canal in 2021 and it was removed.
Inspectors from the Maritime Accident Investigation Division (MAIB), a British government organisation tasked with investigating accidents, including registered British vessels, are also expected to land in Sicily and investigate the wreck.
A group of guests riding Bayesian were on vacation to celebrate Lynch’s innocence in US federal court after a 12-year legal battle against the $11 billion sale of his software group’s autonomy. The group included Lynch’s family, his legal team and his wife.
Of the 22 passengers and crew aboard that night, 15 people, including Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, were rescued by a yacht that was pinned nearby.
Of the seven people who died, five were recovered, trapped in a single cabin, and Lynch’s 18-year-old daughter Hannah was found in another cabin. The crew body, the yacht chef, was recovered from the water.
