Human error blamed for fatal sinking of Mike Lynch's yacht
Giovanni Costantino, head of Sea Group, claims that the sinking of Mike Lynch's yacht was likely caused by human error. Costantino's company took over the Perini Navi brand, which produced the sunken vessel.
1:28 PM EDT, August 31, 2024
On August 19th, off the coast of Sicily, a catastrophe occurred involving the yacht owned by businessman Mike Lynch. The 184-foot yacht, moored about half a mile from the shore, sank during a violent storm. Fifteen people were saved from the catastrophe. Seven died, including Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter.
From the beginning, speculations surrounding the vessel's sinking were widespread. The Italian prosecutor's office, investigating the matter, describes it as a "sudden and unexpected" event.
Manufacturer's hypothesis
Giovanni Costantino, CEO of the Italian company Sea Group, which took over the Perini Navi brand after its bankruptcy, believes that the vessel’s crew is to blame for the sinking. Due to the arrival of a violent storm, the yacht supposedly capsized and found itself underwater within a few minutes.
Costantino voiced the sinking of Mike Lynch's yacht must have been caused by human error. He added that the vessel would not have sunk if the hatch had not been left open.
He stated with conviction that when passengers mentioned that they did not hear a loud noise on the deck, which would have indicated that the yacht had struck a reef, I realized that the yacht took on water due to the open hatch. Otherwise, the yacht could not have sunk.
Crew under investigation
Three crew members are under investigation by Italian authorities for involuntary manslaughter and causing the yacht to sink.
Constantino concluded that a chain of human errors must have occurred.
