Bayesian superyacht crew face police quiz after captain placed under manslaughter investigation as pics & vids analysed
THE crew of the Bayesian superyacht are set to face a police grilling as the captain has come under a manslaughter investigation.
Officials are rifling through pictures and video of the tragedy that killed British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, his daughter, and five others.
Surviving passengers left Sicily in a private jet on Sunday, with most of the crew now set to leave following interviews with cops.
But two key members running the boat will stay behind as the prosecutor’s office looks to solve the capsize riddle.
CCTV footage and photos taken by locals of the night of the storm is being collected and analysed by the prosecutor’s office as they probe whether to charge them.
Captain James Cutfield, 51, from New Zealand, is one of those still in Palermo and is being investigated for manslaughter and shipwreck.
The investigation doesn’t necessarily mean charges are likely, but he has already been questioned twice by prosecutors.
It comes as…
- Brit teen Hannah Lynch was found on the sunken boat on Friday as her family paid tribute
- Five bodies were recovered from the yacht wreck on Wednesday and Thursday including Brit tycoon Mike Lynch
- The CEO of the firm that produced the Bayesian said the boat is ‘unsinkable’ and pointed to human error
- Captain James Cutfield was quizzed for two hours by cops and remains at the centre of a probe
- Experts believe the yacht’s ‘tallest mast in the world‘ may have contributed to the disaster after a freak ‘Black Swan’ weather event struck
- Pictures showed the tiny raft that saved up to 15 people
- Frantic text messages from the survivors revealed the chaos
Giovanni Rizzuti, lawyer for Cutfield, told The Guardian the captain was facing more questioning today.
He said: “Our client is deeply affected by this ordeal… We are currently assessing, with other legal representatives, the defence strategy and examining the technical aspects of the case.”
But Cutfield isn’t the only person under the microscope, with a second crew member set to be investigated.
First officer Tijs Koopman has also been kept behind in Palermo, reports Giornale Di Sicilia.
The interviews have been conducted in English, creating a difficult task for prosecutors as they now need to translate it all into Italian.
A tornado and sudden storm caught the crew by surprise, with investigators now checking whether they made any errors.
The 184ft Bayesian was carrying 22 people and sank in 60 seconds of being hit by the storm.
Locals say that on August 18 lightening and thunder had already started at 9.30pm, hours before the ship sank at 5am.
Brit tech tycoon Mike Lynch and four others were found dead in the first cabin of the luxury yacht’s left side.
Prosecutors said the victims had attempted to scramble to one side of the doomed £30million, 184ft vessel in a desperate battle to reach air pockets.
Lynch’s 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, was found in the third cabin after it sank stern-first before rolling on to its right on the seabed.
The yacht’s chef also died, with his body being found at the beginning of the search.
Fifteen of the 22 on board, including Mr Lynch’s wife Angela Bacares, 57, escaped on a life raft.
Chief Prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio said at a press conference on Saturday that some “behaviours” by crew may not have fit their “responsibilities”.
He said: “There could be in fact the question of homicide. But this is the beginning of the inquiry, we cannot exclude anything at all.”
He vowed to “discover how much they (the crew) knew and to what extent all the people (passengers) were warned.”
“We will establish each element’s (crew) responsibility. For me, it is probable that offences were committed — that it could be a case of manslaughter.”
He said Captain Cutfield had been “extremely cooperative” during questioning and will be quizzed further.
Lead prosecutor Raffaele Cammarano said Italy’s Air Force found the boat was sunk by a downburst that descended from a thunderstorm.
He said there were forecasts of strong winds and a storm alert but good visibility and no suggestion of a tornado.
He added: “Given the conditions were such, there wasn’t anything to suggest there could be an extreme situation.
“There are vessels that can monitor these events and one would have thought the captain had taken precautions.”
He said one person was on watch in the cockpit at the time of the accident.
Maritime law gives a captain full responsibility for the ship and the crew, as well as the safety of all aboard.
Causing a shipwreck is a separate offence in Italy and those found guilty of provoking or causing a shipwreck could face up to 12 years in prison.
Bayesian mystery: the unanswered questions
PROSECUTORS have launched a major probe into whether the Bayesian crew follow the right procedures before it tragically sank.
With the investigation underway now that bodies have been recovered, these are the key points that remain shrouded in mystery.
Why did it sink while other boats withstood the storm?
Survivors were saved by crew of Dutch boat Sir Robert Baden Powell, which was moored right near the Bayesian.
The 42-metre boat remained anchored after its skipper turned on the engine, also avoiding a collision with the doomed British-flagged vessel.
Rescuer Karsten Borner said the Bayesian crew were likely “surprised” by the storm’s prowess.
Were proper safety precautions followed?
In light of the weather warning issued by the coast guard, questions have been raised over whether yacht guests were woken up and given life jackets.
On Saturday, prosecutors said those who died were likely asleep when the storm hit.
This meant they couldn’t escape as the boat rapidly sank, investigators believe.
Was the Bayesian properly anchored?
The anchor being lowered to 50 metres has sparked questions over whether the yacht should have been secured in shallower water.
Retired Royal Navy Commander Tom Sharpe also said the Bayesian is designed for a huge sail – and without the sail raised, the fierce gusts would’ve rocked the boat’s aluminium pole.
He told CBC News: “My kind of working assumption is that she was probably a bit further in at anchor, and it’s very likely, in these sort of conditions, that her anchor dragged.”
Were hatches left open?
It access hatches were left open before the storm struck, it’s believed the yacht would’ve quickly filled with water once it tipped, causing the swift sinking.
An expert at the scene told Reuters that one of the earliest aims for investigators was to establish whether the crew did not close access hatches before disaster struck.
With temperatures above 33 degrees, they may have been left open for air circulation.
Sam Jefferson said: “I imagine all the doors were open because it was hot, so there were enough hatches and doors open that it filled with water very quickly and sank like that.”
How long will the investigation take?
Sicilian prosecutors wouldn’t be drawn on giving a timeline for the investigation on Saturday.
With the wreck at 50 metres below the sea surface, they warned it would take some time.
Autopsies are also yet to be done.