Yacht tragedy in Sicily: Billionaire Mike Lynch among 7 dead
Prosecutors in Sicily have launched an investigation into the captain of a luxury yacht that sank near Palermo during a waterspout. Seven people died in the incident, including British billionaire Mike Lynch and his daughter. New Zealander James Cutfield is suspected of causing the maritime disaster and unintentionally causing the deaths of many people.
12:44 PM EDT, August 26, 2024
The yacht Bayesian belonged to British billionaire Mike Lynch. Six days after the tragedy, the captain was again interrogated on Sunday.
Thanks to the testimony of the survivors—there are a total of 15—the last thirty minutes have been reconstructed, from the moment the vessel, anchored overnight in the roadstead, began taking on water until it sank. The investigation focuses, among other things, on whether the yacht's hatch was left open, which could have allowed water to enter.
In addition to the billionaire and his daughter, the victims include the president of Morgan Stanley International, Jonathan Bloomer, and his wife, as well as Lynch's attorney, Chris Morvillo, and his wife.
During a press conference in Sicily, the prosecutor stated that it is not known whether a black box was on board. "We are not certain of that because, at this stage, the operation was focused on searching for people," he announced.
In the prosecutor's view, it is necessary to wait for the yacht to be raised from the seabed, and according to experts, this requires the development of a special operational plan.
"A series of errors occurred on the yacht"
The press reports that a party was taking place on board during the voyage, organized to celebrate Lynch's acquittal after a 10-year legal battle concerning his business affairs.
Everything that was done reveals a very long summation of errors. The people should not have been in the cabins, the ship should not have been anchored there. The storm was clearly visible on all the weather maps," said Giovanni Costantino, head of the company that built the yacht, to the newspaper Corriere della Sera.
The prosecutor emphasized that the rescued crew members were not tested for the presence of alcohol and drugs in their bodies.
Aa another prosecutor, Raffaele Cammarano, said that after the shipwreck, the crew was "in great shock and needed treatment." They did not undergo drug and alcohol tests.
According to the prosecution, it appears that the passengers who died were asleep in the cabins at the time of the disaster. The bodies of these individuals were found below deck. Earlier, rescue teams reported that these people had tried to escape.
Controversies surrounding the "British Bill Gates"
Mike Lynch is a controversial figure in the business world. He was recently acquitted of fraud charges involving billions of dollars. The case involved a 2011 transaction in which HP bought the company Autonomy for $11 billion. A year later, HP announced a write-down of $8.8 billion, claiming there were "accounting irregularities." HP accused Lynch of inflating the startup's value and committing fraud.
Born in Ireland, Lynch studied at the University of Cambridge, specializing in adaptive pattern recognition. His career in the technology industry began with the creation of several startups, including a company specializing in software for automatic license plates and fingerprint recognition for the police.
Despite the controversies, Lynch was respected in the British business community. He served as an advisor to the British government and was called the "British Bill Gates."
