Mike Lynch’s family yacht sank off Sicily last month, Now the preliminary examinations of four individuals who perished when British tech tycoon’s yacht sank suggested that they died from suffocation due to a lack of oxygen on the vessel.
Lynch, his daughter Hannah, an onboard cook, and four guests lost their lives when the Bayesian, a British-flagged 56-meter (184-feet) superyacht, sank following a severe and sudden weather event near Porticello, close to Palermo, on August 19.
Initial autopsy reports
Initial autopsy results for four of the deceased—Morgan Stanley International chairman Jonathan Bloomer, his wife Judy, lawyer Chris Morvillo, and his wife Neda—indicated that suffocation was the cause of death as they were trapped on the yacht. Additional forensic tests have been ordered, with results anticipated in the coming weeks.
Autopsies for the cook, Recaldo Thomas, and Mike Lynch were scheduled to take place on Friday, with Hannah Lynch’s autopsy expected to follow on Saturday.
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According to the head of Palermo’s Fire Brigade, the bodies, except for that of the cook, were found in the cabins on the yacht’s left side, where the passengers might have been searching for any remaining air.
Crew members under investigation
James Cutfield, the ship’s captain, and crew members Tim Parker Eaton and Matthew Griffiths are under investigation by Italian authorities for possible manslaughter and shipwreck. However, being investigated does not imply guilt or guarantee that formal charges will be filed.
Griffiths, who was on duty during the incident, informed investigators that the crew did everything possible to rescue those aboard the Bayesian, as reported by the Italian news agency Ansa last week.
The sinking has baffled naval experts, who noted that a vessel like the Bayesian, built by the high-end yacht manufacturer Perini and owned by The Italian Sea Group, should have been able to withstand the storm and should not have sunk as rapidly as it did.
