Manslaughter investigation into superyacht sinking expected in Italy

Prosecutors in Italy are reportedly planning to launch a manslaughter investigation after a luxury yacht sank, claiming seven lives.

Sky News understands this is standard procedure in complex cases, but more details are expected to be revealed at a news conference in Sicily this morning.

Among those killed were Hannah Lynch who became the last passenger to be recovered from Bayesian superyacht on Friday.

Tributes have been paid to the 18-year-old who was travelling on the boat with her father Mike Lynch, a British tech tycoon who also died, and mother Angela Bacares who survived the disaster.

Esme Lynch described her younger sister as “endlessly caring, passionately mad, unintentionally hilarious”.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Lynch family said they were “devastated… in shock… and being comforted and supported by family and friends”.

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The vessel had arrived off the coast of Sicily on Sunday, remaining at anchor 500m from the port of Porticello overnight.

The yacht sank at around 5am local time on Monday during a violent storm.

Fifteen passengers and crew members made it onto a life raft and were picked up by a nearby boat.

The bodies of the remaining seven people were recovered from the sunken vessel over several days, but that operation had been plagued with difficulties.

Vincenzo Zagarola, of the Italian Coastguard, said the dives were not “easy or quick”, comparing the yacht to an “18-storey building full of water”.

Mr Zagarola previously said a decision on whether to raise the sunken boat from the seabed is “not on the agenda”, but will be in the future.

Conditions underwater were described as “complex”, and while the British-flagged superyacht was still largely intact 50m (164ft) below the surface, the depth is far deeper than most recreational divers are qualified to reach and requires special precautions.

Prosecutors, led by Ambrogio Cartosio, will provide an update on Saturday morning in the town of Termini Imerese near where the Bayesian superyacht went down.

Investigations into what happened are already getting under way although there are already questions about the speed at which the Bayesian sank.

Dr Jean-Baptise Souppez, an expert in mechanical, biomedical and design engineering, told Sky News: “For a ship that size to go down in a matter of minutes is particularly puzzling.

“I think it’s important to remember that all these vessels are built to very strong rules and regulations. And one of the reasons this is so puzzling is because those rules should ensure that this doesn’t happen.”

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Giovanni Costantino, CEO of The Italian Sea Group, owns a firm which makes and sells vessels like Mike Lynch’s superyacht.

He insists they “are absolutely safe“, suggesting human error could be a factor, although no official cause has been given for why the boat sank.

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But maritime investigator James Wilkes has warned against speculation.

He told Sky News: “It’s not uncommon to blame seafarers and the crew when a vessel has suffered a casualty of this magnitude.

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“I don’t think it’s fair right now to jump to the conclusion that the crew must have done something wrong.”

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