Stricken Superyacht concealing enigmatic records sinks, mini-submarine set for recovery mission of wreckage.
Revamped Tale: Mysterious Sinking of Tech Mogul's Luxury Yacht
Last summer, tech tycoon Mike Lynch and six others met an untimely end when the magnificent "Bayesian," his 56-meter superyacht, plunged into the Italian sea off Sicily. In fewer than 15 minutes, the yacht bit the dust.
Authorities in Italy have been on a wild goose chase, probing various theories and tangling with intelligence agency connections. With the yacht's upcoming resurfacing by mid-June 2025, tantalizing secrets might surface.
Mike Lynch, known for amassing his fortune by selling his firm Autonomy to tech titan Hewlett Packard (HP), met his tragic demise with his 18-year-old daughter, the ship's cook, and two couples. Miraculously, the 15 other crew members swam to safety.
The "Bayesian," billed as "unsinkable," sank near Porticello on Sicily's north coast during a robust storm. Despite the confusion, suspicions of intelligence agencies' involvement swirled.
Reigniting the intrigue surrounding this catastrophe, experts plan to lift the yacht, resting some 50 meters deep, at significant expense.
Crew Members Under Scrutiny
Investigators have cast a keen eye on the ship's captain and two crew members. They stand accused of having disregarded storm warnings and only saving their own hides.
Giovanni Costantino, the CEO of the boat-maker, Sea Group, which owns Perini Navi, constructors of the "Bayesian," spoke to British newspaper "The Guardian." He conjectured that the ship could only have sunk due to human error. At first, he'd imagined a collision with a rock. "But when the passengers reported no deafening noise onboard, I realized that the yacht had taken on water through an open hatch," Costantino declared.
He alleges a "chain of human errors." Notably, a 65-year-old sailing vessel positioned around 150 meters from the superyacht during the storm incurred no damage, according to Costantino. The crew had prepared the ship diligently for oncoming weather, while even fishermen had stayed ashore that night.
"This crew took the weather conditions seriously. It's inexplicable how the crew of the Bayesian didn't take the weather forecast seriously. I cannot fathom it. How could they, when they realized they were losing the ship, fail to think about saving passengers who were in the cabins? Only God knows that at this point," noted the head of the boat builder, "The Guardian".
Boat Manufacturer under Fire
The crew denies the accusation. They maintain that the ship's hatches were sealed. Remarkably, investigations are also focusing on whether Perini Navi shares responsibility for the shipwreck of its 17-year-old vessel.
German captain Karsten Boerner, helming the old vessel mentioned by Costantino under the Dutch flag, witnessed the incident and rescued the survivors. He was nearby with his boat "Sir Robert Baden Powell." Boerner alleges that the high mast was the cause of the accident.
"In my opinion, something is amiss with the stability. I have two masts, which are 28 and 29 meters above deck," said Boerner. In his opinion, the "Bayesian" boasted one mast, peaking at 73 meters above deck, thus disturbing the vessel's center of gravity.
Alleged Hidden Data
Italian authorities have tightened security around the sunken superyacht. Whispers abound of watertight safes onboard housing sensitive Western intelligence data, reported CNN. A source close to the Italian prosecutor's office claimed survivors mentioned that Mike Lynch shied away from cloud services. Rumors conjecture the vessel might contain two heavily encrypted hard drives and confidential papers.
The area around Porticello remains guarded during the salvage operation, with swimming, diving, and drone flights prohibited. The information on the hidden hard drives could pique the curiosity of both the Russian and Chinese governments, CNN reports, due to Lynch's connections with international intelligence services through another company, Darktrace. Lynch's surviving wife, Angela Bacares, consulted on technology and cybersecurity for two consecutive British prime ministers.
The Giant Mast to Stay Submerged
The "Bayesian," tipping the scales at 473 tons, ranked among the largest sailing yachts in the world. Underwater footage shows the ship lies relatively intact on its right side, providing insights for investigators. The intention is to lift the ship as intact as possible, using a remote-controlled mini-submarine and the floating barge "Hebo-Lift 2."
dpa/dst
Enrichment Data:
Overall:
The investigation into the sinking of Mike Lynch's 56m Perini Navi superyacht Bayesian, which claimed six lives in August 2024, is ongoing with multiple developments:
1. Salvage Operation Status
- Investigation phase: A multi-day inspection using remote-controlled submersibles began recently to analyze the wreck at 49 meters depth, led by the floating barge Hebo-Lift 2[3].
- Salvage plan: Authorities aim to remove the mast, drain 18,000 liters of fuel, and perform a controlled lift using Hebo-Lift 10 to recover the wreck by late May 2025[3].
- Challenges: Depth complicates diving operations, requiring saturation systems and specialized equipment [3].
2. Legal Developments
Three crew members are under formal investigation for "negligence, recklessness, and malpractice" related to emergency protocols and failure to ensure passenger safety [3].
3. Potential Evidence from Salvage
- Structural integrity: Damage patterns could reveal whether mechanical failure, design flaws, or extreme weather caused the sinking.
- Fuel and watertight compartments: Leaks or breaches might indicate collision damage or improper maintenance.
- Electronic systems: Recovered navigation logs, alarms, or communication devices could clarify the yacht’s final moments.
- Crew documentation: Safety checklists or operational records may shed light on compliance with maritime regulations [3].
The wreck's forensic analysis aims to unveil the truth behind this mysterious incident.
- Referring to the upcoming salvage operation of the sunken superyacht, "Bayesian", experts question whether the crew members, particularly the captain and two others, disregarded storm warnings while only saving themselves.
- The boat manufacturer, Perini Navi, could potentially share responsibility in the shipwreck of the 17-year-old vessel, "Bayesian", as some experts speculate that human errors may have contributed to the disaster.
- Investigators are examining the possibility of an explosion aboard the yacht, causing it to take on water through an open hatch, as the boat-maker CEO, Giovanni Costantino, has suggested.
- German captain Karsten Boerner, who rescued the survivors, alleges that the high mast of the superyacht may have disturbed the vessel's center of gravity and ultimately led to its sinking.
- Italian authorities have heightened their scrutiny of the sunken superyacht, "Bayesian", as there are rumors that sensitive Western intelligence data and watertight safes containing heavily encrypted hard drives are hidden onboard.
- In light of Mike Lynch's connections to international intelligence services and his wife's role in technology and cybersecurity for two consecutive British prime ministers, both the Russian and Chinese governments are believed to be interested in any data that might be uncovered from the salvaged yacht.
