Current:Home > StocksManslaughter probe announced in Sicily yacht wreck that killed 7-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
Manslaughter probe announced in Sicily yacht wreck that killed 7
View Date:2024-12-23 20:30:54
Italian authorities are opening an investigation into whether the sinking of the luxury yacht Bayesian, which killed seven people including British tech tycoon Mike Lynch, was manslaughter.
Prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio said Saturday that the investigation is not targeting specific individuals so far, but that it was "plausible" that the crimes of manslaughter or causing a shipwreck through negligence were committed.
The Bayesian went down off the port of Porticello, near Sicily's capital of Palermo, after an unexpected storm early Monday morning. Fifteen people, including Lynch's wife and the owner of the yacht Angela Bacares, were rescued from the water.
A frantic search of the water and the sunken vessel ultimately recovered the bodies of seven people over the next few days: Lynch, his 18-year-old daughter Hannah; lawyer Christopher Morvillo, an American, and his wife Neda Morvillo; Morgan Stanley executive Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy Bloomer; and Recaldo Thomas, who was the ship's chef. Lynch had recently been acquitted in a fraud trial in the U.S.; Christopher Morvillo was one of his lawyers and Jonathan Bloomer served as a character witness on Lynch's behalf.
Investigation underway to find out how yacht sank
Investigators will pull the sunken ship from the sea bottom, where it is lying on its side about 160 feet down.
"It's in the interests of the owners and managers of the ship to salvage it," Cartosio said, adding that it's not out of the question for the investigation to shift to focus on a person.
The catastrophe has puzzled naval experts, who say the yacht should have withstood a storm of this magnitude. No other boats in the area reported damage from the storm.
Survivors, including the Bayesian's captain James Cutfield, have been questioned by authorities about what happened on the ship, but haven't yet spoken publicly. Cutfield was "extremely cooperative," Raffaele Cammarano, another prosecutor, said Saturday.
A maritime legal expert told USA TODAY the disaster could lead to lawsuits and possible criminal charges against Cutfield. Mitchell Stoller, a maritime expert witness and captain, said it was Cutfield's duty to monitor weather and prepare to maneuver the boat through rough waters instead of staying anchored. Italian authorities have said the Bayesian was likely anchored before the disaster. It's not clear if Cutfield has retained an attorney who can speak on his behalf, and messages seeking comment to a Facebook profile appearing to belong to him went unreturned on Friday.
WHY DID THE BAYESIAN SINK?Investigators seek answers to why the luxury superyacht sank in storm
"Indescribable, unreasonable errors" by the crew, not issues with the boat's design, led to its sinking, Giovanni Costantino, CEO of The Italian Sea Group, which owns Perini, told Reuters.
Cammarano said the passengers were likely asleep when the storm hit, which could be why several were unable to escape. The bodies of most were found on the left side of the boat, where they may have gone to try and find pockets of air as it sank, Girolamo Bentivoglio Fiandra of Palermo's Fire Brigade said.
Contributing: Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY; Reuters
veryGood! (92479)
Related
- Missouri prosecutor says he won’t charge Nelly after an August drug arrest
- Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS Has Mother’s Day Gifts Mom Will Love: Here Are 13 Shopping Editor-Approved Picks
- IEA Says U.S. Could Become Desert Solar Leader—With Right Incentives
- Highlighting the Allure of Synfuels, Exxon Played Down the Climate Risks
- Jelly Roll goes to jail (for the best reason) ahead of Indianapolis concert
- Whistleblower Quits with Scathing Letter Over Trump Interior Dept. Leadership
- Too Hot to Handle’s Francesca Farago and TikToker Jesse Sullivan Are Engaged
- Look Back on King Charles III's Road to the Throne
- New Orleans marks with parade the 64th anniversary of 4 little girls integrating city schools
- Children's hospitals are the latest target of anti-LGBTQ harassment
Ranking
- The White Stripes drop lawsuit against Donald Trump over 'Seven Nation Army' use
- Maurice Edwin James “Morey” O’Loughlin
- Maria Menounos Shares Battle With Stage 2 Pancreatic Cancer While Expecting Baby
- Today’s Climate: May 21, 2010
- Katharine Hayhoe’s Post-Election Advice: Fight Fear, Embrace Hope and Work Together
- Over-the-counter hearing aids will bring relief, but with some confusion
- Judges Question EPA’s Lifting of Ban on Climate Super Pollutant HFCs
- Score $131 Worth of Philosophy Perfume and Skincare Products for Just $62
Recommendation
-
Black and Latino families displaced from Palm Springs neighborhood reach $27M tentative settlement
-
Queen Charlotte's Tunji Kasim Explains How the Show Mirrors Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Story
-
After criticism over COVID, the CDC chief plans to make the agency more nimble
-
A new student filmmaking grant will focus on reproductive rights
-
Maine elections chief who drew Trump’s ire narrates House tabulations in livestream
-
Antarctica’s Winds Increasing Risk of Sea Level Rise from Massive Totten Glacier
-
I Tested Out Some Under-the-Radar Beauty Products From CLE Cosmetics— Here's My Honest Review
-
Today’s Climate: May 20, 2010