The search for the last missing person from the wreck of the Bayesian superyacht that sank off the coast of Sicily will resume on Friday.
Hannah Lynch, 18, the daughter of technology magnate Mike Lynch, is still ‘missing’ according to Italian authorities.
Mr Lynch, his daughter Hannah, Morgan Stanley International Bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer, his wife Judy Bloomer, Clifford Chance attorney Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda Morvillo were killed when the Bayesian boat sank in a heavy storm around 5 a.m. Monday. Their bodies have been recovered from the wreckage.
The search for the last missing person continues as Italian authorities launch an investigation into how the boat sank, with questions mounting about how the tragedy could have happened.
Giovanni Costantino, founder and CEO of Italy’s Sea Group, which owns the Perini Navi shipyard where the Bayesian was built, defends the ship’s construction and blames human error for the disaster, saying the crew had 16 minutes to prevent the disaster.
Earlier claims suggested the sinking occurred within 60 seconds, giving the crew little time to react. The captain said: “We didn’t see it coming.”
See below for the latest updates.
Key Points
Raising Bayesian interest rates ‘costs 15 million euros and takes a maximum of eight weeks’
09:36 , Sami Quadri
Nick Sloane, known for leading the 2012 Costa Concordia salvage operation, says raising the Bayesian superyacht from the seabed off the coast of Sicily would cost around €15 million and take six to eight weeks.
Sloane outlined the complex operation, which required about 40 specialist divers and a large platform to be towed to the site.
A huge crane would then be used to lift the yacht, but with extreme caution. “If the yacht is pulled up too quickly, it could buckle and break under the enormous pressure of the seawater inside it,” Sloane explained.
The plan involves first removing the yacht’s 75-metre-high mast before lifting the ship.
Sloane told La Repubblica newspaper: “I estimate it will cost around 15 million euros, but maybe it could be done for a little less.”
Regarding the timeline, he added: “The salvage operation would take six to eight weeks. It could be completed before the second half of October.”
Searches continue, rescue service says
09:14
Italy’s fire and rescue service has announced that the search for the last missing person from the superyacht disaster is still ongoing.
In a recent tweet, they confirmed that the underwater search has resumed, describing the effort as “long and delicate.”
The service also shared footage of rescue teams on boats preparing for another round of dives in their tireless search for the last missing person.
What we know so far
09:02 , Sami Quadri
Here is a summary to bring you up to date on the superyacht tragedy:
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A superyacht named the Bayesian sank off the coast of Italy on Monday
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Current death toll: 7 presumed dead, 15 survivors
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Among the confirmed dead is tech mogul Mike Lynch
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Other victims include Jonathan and Judy Bloomer, and Chris and Neda Morvillo
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Survivors recover in a hotel in Porticello
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Researchers in Sicily are investigating why the Bayesian sank while a nearby sailboat was untouched
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The fifth body was recovered on Thursday and taken to the port of Porticello
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Italian coast guard optimistic about Friday’s search for 18-year-old Hannah Lynch
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No immediate plans to raise the sunken yacht from the seabed
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Conservative MP David Davis vows to campaign against US-UK extradition treaty in Lynch’s memory
Tributes pour in for tech mogul Mike Lynch
08:48 , Sami Quadri
Mike Lynch, the British tycoon who died in the superyacht disaster, has been hailed as “a giant of a man” and a “visionary”, as accolades pour in from the business and technology worlds.
The 59-year-old was one of the founders of software giant Autonomy, which grew into one of the world’s leading technology companies.
Co-founder David Tabizel said, “The world has lost a genius. His family has lost a giant of a man.”
Eleanor Lightbody, CEO of legal AI company Luminance, said in a statement: “Mike was a visionary like no other. He had a unique ability to spot the next technological revolution and solve tomorrow’s challenges before others even knew they were coming.
“Moreover, it was his bond with people that made him special.
“He had an unshakable faith in the UK technology sector, in our fantastic academic institutions and in the talent he took the time to discover and nurture, regardless of background or discipline.
“Mike was above all a kind person…and he will be greatly missed.”
Pictured: Search for Hannah Lynch resumes
08:33
Italian coastguard ‘confident’ there will be progress
08:18
The Italian coast guard is optimistic about the search for Hannah Lynch on Friday.
When asked about possible developments, spokesman Vincenzo Zagarola said: “We are confident.”
Superyacht crew had ’16 minutes’ to prevent tragedy
08:06 , Sami Quadri
According to Giovanni Costantino, CEO of Italy’s Sea Group, the crew of tech billionaire Mike Lynch’s luxury yacht had just 16 minutes to avert disaster.
The company, which owns the Perini Navi shipyard where the ill-fated Bayesian was built, claims the build quality of the vessel was not to blame for the defect.
Costantino instead points to human error as the cause of the tragedy. He told The Financial Times: “The torture lasted 16 minutes. It didn’t happen in one minute as some scientists have said. It happened in 16 minutes. You can see it on the graphs, on the AIS [Automatic Identification System] tracking card.
“The captain should have prepared the boat and put it in a state of readiness and safety, just as the boat [the Sir Robert Baden Powell] 350 meters further at anchor, which was built in 1957 and the [weather] event brilliant.”
Search for tycoon’s daughter continues
07:55 , Matt Watts
The search continues for 18-year-old Hannah Lynch, the last person missing from the wreck of the Bayesian.
The body of her father, tech magnate Mike Lynch, was recovered Thursday, while his wife Angela Bacares survived the shipwreck that sank the boat they were on Monday.
Divers suspended their search off the coast of Sicily at 8pm last night and resumed the search on Friday morning.