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The captain of the Bayesian is under investigation for manslaughter and shipwreck, according to judicial sources.
The official, who asked not to be named, confirmed to Reuters on Monday the earlier reports in Italian media that New Zealander James Cutfield, 51, was being investigated by Italian prosecutors after the superyacht sank in a storm off the coast of Sicily last Monday.
Magistrates spoke to the 51-year-old on Sunday for the second time in a week, the Italian daily la Repubblica reported, questioning him for more than two hours.
Speaking of the storm, Mr Catfield insisted on Tuesday: “We didn’t see it coming.”
Being placed under investigation in Italy does not imply guilt and does not mean formal charges will necessarily follow.
It comes amid tributes for the owner of the British-flagged vessel Mike Lynch, his daughter Hannah Lynch, Morgan Stanley chairman Jonathan Bloomer, his wife Judith Bloomer, Clifford Chance lawyer Christopher Morvillo and his wife Neda Morvillo, who all died in the disaster.
Sasha Murray, chief stewardess of the yacht, who is understood to have been among the 15 rescued from the boat, described Hannah as a “diamond in a sea of stars”.
Bayesian sank from its stern, fire chief says
The Bayesian sent its last signal before sinking via the tracking Automatic Identification System (AIS) just after 4am local time, according to the MarineTraffic website.
Chief Prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio said a red flare alerting rescue services about the emergency was fired into the sky more than 30 minutes later.
The head of Palermo’s Fire Brigade, Girolamo Bentivoglio Fiandra, said the boat sank from the stern and is lying on its starboard side at a depth of around 50 metres (164 feet).
Andy Gregory26 August 2024 18:01
Hannah Lynch was ‘one of the best English students in the country’, teacher says
Hannah Lynch had just completed her A-levels and secured a place to study English at Oxford University.
Her former English teacher Jon Mitropoulos-Monk said she was “one of the best English students in the country” having scored 100% in her English Literature GCSE.
Patrick Jacob, a family friend, paid tribute to her on Friday, saying: “Hannah was charming and ferociously intelligent with an insatiable thirst for life and knowledge. She was also warm, loving and deeply considerate; remarkably for her age.
“I am 50 years older than her and in my life I have never met anybody like Hannah. We have lost one of our brightest stars whose future held so much promise. Her loss is unbearable.”
Andy Gregory26 August 2024 16:37
How Mike Lynch’s inner circle celebrated end of billionaire’s 13 year court battle
After a decade-long legal battle which had seen him extradited to the US to face an $11bn fraud case, Mike Lynch had celebrated by inviting his close friends, colleagues and those who helped him on his legal team aboard his boat as a gesture of gratitude.
Yet a week of sunshine along the Italian coastline would soon turn to horror after the boat capsized shortly before dawn, only offering those onboard a few minutes to get themselves to safety.
My colleagues Rachel Hagan and Jabed Ahmed report:
Andy Gregory26 August 2024 16:02
Prosecutors say powerful wind could have caused the Bayesian’s ‘extremely rapid’ demise
Investigators are reported to be focusing on how the 56-metre luxury yacht Bayesian – a vessel deemed “unsinkable” by its manufacturer, Italian shipyard Perini Navi – sank while a nearby sailing boat remained largely unscathed during the storm off the coast of Sicily last Monday.
Prosecutors said the event was “extremely rapid” and could have been a “downburst” – a localised, powerful wind which descends from a thunderstorm and spreads out rapidly upon hitting the ground.
Andy Gregory26 August 2024 15:43
Prosecutors say no suspect identified so far
On Saturday, chief prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio confirmed an investigation has been launched into the sinking of the superyacht but said a suspect has not been identified.
He said his team will consider each possible element of responsibility, including those of the captain, the crew, individuals in charge of supervision, and the yacht’s manufacturer.
Tara Cobham26 August 2024 15:00
Five found in same cabin while Hannah…
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