International
oi-Saumya Joshi
Days
following
the
catastrophic
sinking
of
the
superyacht
Bayesian
off
Sicily’s
coast,
Italian
prosecutors
have
suggested
that
human
error
might
have
played
a
significant
role.
The
British-registered
vessel,
carrying
22
passengers,
went
down
after
being
hit
by
a
powerful
downburst
sudden,
intense
gust
of
wind.
Among
the
seven
fatalities
were
British
tech
entrepreneur
Mike
Lynch
and
his
18-year-old
daughter,
Hannah,
as
reported
by
Firstpost.
The
survivors
included
Lynch’s
wife,
15
others,
and
the
yacht’s
captain,
as
reported
by
Firstpost.
The
tragedy
unfolded
swiftly,
with
the
yacht
sinking
in
just
16
minutes.
Initial
Investigation
and
Speculation
On
Saturday,
Ambrogio
Cartosio,
head
of
the
prosecutor’s
office
in
Termini
Imerese,
announced
the
opening
of
an
investigation
into
potential
manslaughter
and
negligent
shipwreck.
Cartosio
emphasized
that
the
probe
is
in
its
early
stages
and
that
no
conclusions
have
been
drawn
yet.
He
highlighted
the
possibility
that
the
sinking
could
have
been
caused
by
actions
inconsistent
with
maritime
regulations,
as
reported
by
Firstpost.
“We
are
in
the
preliminary
phase
of
the
investigation
and
are
not
ruling
out
any
potential
causes,” Cartosio
said.
He
stressed
that
the
investigation
is
not
targeting
any
specific
individual
at
this
time,
as
reported
by
Firstpost.
The
Crucial
16-Minute
Window
The
focus
now
is
on
understanding
what
transpired
in
the
16
minutes
between
the
yacht
losing
power
and
its
final
GPS
signal
before
sinking.
The
luxury
vessel
was
hosting
a
party
when
it
was
struck
by
the
storm.
Lynch
had
recently
been
acquitted
of
fraud
charges
in
the
U.S.,
adding
a
layer
of
high-profile
interest
to
the
incident.
Notable
victims
included
Jonathan
Bloomer,
Chairman
of
Morgan
Stanley
International,
his
wife
Judy,
and
Lynch’s
lawyer
Chris
Morvillo
and
his
spouse
Neda.
Investigators
are
scrutinizing
the
events
leading
up
to
the
vessel’s
demise,
as
reported
by
Firstpost.
Captain’s
Role
and
Shipbuilder’s
Doubts
Captain
James
Cutfield,
a
New
Zealander
who
survived,
has
commented
that
the
storm
was
unforeseen.
Giovanni
Costantino,
head
of
the
company
that
built
the
Bayesian,
expressed
scepticism
about
the
storm’s
unexpected
nature,
as
reported
by
Firstpost.
He
suggested
that
multiple
onboard
errors
could
have
contributed
to
the
disaster,
including
an
open
hatch
and
a
raised
keel
that
compromised
the
yacht’s
stability.
Costantino
claimed
that
with
proper
preparations
as
closing
all
openings,
anchoring,
engaging
the
engine,
and
adjusting
the
keel
yacht
could
have
weathered
the
storm.
He
asserted
that
the
Bayesian
was
designed
to
be
virtually
unsinkable
under
normal
conditions.
Investigation
Challenges
and
Recovery
Efforts
The
16-minute
timeframe
is
critical
for
the
investigation,
as
it
marks
the
period
during
which
the
yacht
lost
power
and
ultimately
sank.
The
authorities
are
exploring
whether
proper
measures
were
taken
to
address
the
severe
weather
conditions.
Rino
Casilli,
a
top
Sicilian
ship
surveyor,
questioned
the
lack
of
vigilance,
suggesting
that
a
crew
should
have
been
on
watch
throughout
the
night
given
the
storm
warning.
The
exact
number
of
crew
members
on
duty
remains
unclear,
as
per
media
reports.
The
wreckage
recovery
is
also
proving
difficult.
The
yacht
remains
largely
intact,
with
its
interior
obstructing
rescue
efforts.
Bringing
the
Bayesian
to
the
surface
could
take
six
to
eight
weeks
and
cost
an
estimated
15
million
euros.
Meanwhile,
investigators
are
focused
on
piecing
together
the
sequence
of
events
leading
to
the
tragedy.
