Sicilian authorities have launched an investigation into possible negligent shipwreck and manslaughter charges after a superyacht sank off the coast of Sicily, resulting in the deaths of seven people, including UK tech mogul Mike Lynch. The British-flagged sailing yacht, named Bayesian, was caught in a severe storm and sank early Monday morning near Porticello, close to Palermo.
Ambrogio Cartosio, the state prosecutor from the Termini Imerese Public Prosecutor’s Office, announced the opening of the investigation on Saturday, noting that it is still in its preliminary stages. Cartosio emphasized the seriousness of the inquiry but stressed that it is too early to draw conclusions. “We are only in the initial phase of the investigations,” Cartosio said, adding, “At this stage, precisely because the investigation could develop in any way, we are absolutely not ruling anything out.”
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The last victim, Lynch’s 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, was recovered on Friday, marking a tragic end to the search efforts. The storm had struck the 56-meter yacht, Bayesian, with a waterspout—a powerful weather phenomenon resembling a mini-tornado—while it was anchored. Of the 22 people on board, 15 were rescued by emergency services, while the bodies of the remaining seven, including Lynch, were recovered over the course of the week.
Mike Lynch, 59, had organized the trip as a celebration following his recent acquittal in a high-profile U.S. fraud case. He had been cleared of charges in June by a San Francisco court related to accusations of an $11 billion fraud associated with the sale of his software company, Autonomy, to Hewlett-Packard. Despite his legal victory, this tragic event has cast a shadow over what was meant to be a celebratory occasion.
The first body found was that of the yacht’s cook, shortly after the vessel sank. Over the following days, rescue teams, including specialist divers, recovered the bodies of four of Lynch’s friends, and then Lynch himself.
As the investigation unfolds, authorities will look into all possible causes and responsibilities related to the sinking of the Bayesian. Given the complexity and the high-profile nature of the incident, this investigation is expected to draw considerable attention as it progresses.
