Porticello, Sicily – In a sudden and devastating turn of events, a luxury super yacht named *Bayesian* sank off the coast of Porticello, Sicily, in the early hours of Monday, leaving seven people dead. The disaster unfolded within a mere 16 minutes during a violent storm, casting a shadow of grief and disbelief over the small fishing village.
The incident began late Sunday night when Matteo Cannia, a 78-year-old fisherman, noticed the first signs of an approaching storm while sitting on a bench overlooking the sea. "I heard the thunder and the wind and decided to go home," he recounted. The storm quickly intensified, rousing residents from their sleep as water began flooding homes.
Around 04:15 local time, Fabio Cefalù, another fisherman who had initially planned to head out to sea that morning, saw a distress flare. Acting on instinct, he ventured out, only to discover cushions and floating debris – remnants of what had once been the luxurious *Bayesian* yacht. The 56-meter sailing yacht, which had been moored just a few hundred meters away, had sunk.
Of the 22 passengers aboard the *Bayesian*, only 15 made it into a life raft as the yacht began to capsize. Among the survivors was British woman Charlotte Golunski, who was thrown into the water with her one-year-old daughter, Sophie. "It was all black around me," she said, describing the terror of the moment. "The only thing I could hear were the screams of others." Golunski, her daughter, and her husband James were rescued by a nearby sailing boat captain.
However, not everyone was so fortunate. Trapped inside the sinking yacht was Mike Lynch, a prominent UK tech entrepreneur often referred to as "Britain’s Bill Gates." The trip had been intended as a celebratory getaway following his recent acquittal in a lengthy U.S. trial. His body was recovered by divers three days later, along with that of his 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, who was set to begin her studies at the University of Oxford next month.
The other victims included Jonathan Bloomer, president of investment bank Morgan Stanley, and his wife Judy; Lynch’s lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda; and the yacht’s chef, Recaldo Thomas. Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, survived. The Lynch family has expressed their “unspeakable grief,” stating they are “devastated and in shock.”
The rapid sinking of the *Bayesian* has baffled experts, particularly since other smaller vessels nearby weathered the storm unscathed. Local prosecutors have launched an investigation into potential manslaughter and negligent shipwreck, with state prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio acknowledging “many possibilities for culpability.” While no one has been specifically named in the investigation, Cartosio noted that the captain and crew's actions would be scrutinized.
James Cutfield, the 51-year-old New Zealand-born captain of the *Bayesian*, survived the ordeal and is currently being questioned. “We didn’t see it coming,” he told Italian media, referring to the storm, in his only public comment so far. However, Giovanni Costantino, head of the company that built the yacht, suggested that a series of errors may have led to the disaster. “At the back of the boat, a hatch must have been left open,” he said, adding that the captain should have taken specific actions to stabilize the vessel before the storm hit.
Experts believe the yacht was struck by a downburst – a localized and powerful wind descending from a thunderstorm. This theory contradicts earlier reports that blamed the sinking on a waterspout or mini-tornado at sea.
The yacht’s black box, once recovered, will be crucial in determining the sequence of events. Rino Casilli, one of Sicily’s top ship surveyors, also pointed out that the yacht should have been moored in the harbor, not out at sea, given the storm warnings.
The Italian Coast Guard led a challenging recovery operation to retrieve the bodies trapped in the wreckage, which lies 50 meters underwater. Divers were limited to just 10 minutes underwater per dive, and remote-controlled vehicles were used to aid the effort. The recovery of Hannah Lynch’s body marked the end of the search, with the coastguard comparing the submerged yacht to an “18-storey building full of water.”
The focus now shifts to whether and how the wreckage of the *Bayesian* will be salvaged. Estimates suggest that bringing the yacht to the surface could take six to eight weeks and cost up to 15 million euros (£12.7m).
As investigators continue their work, the once serene fishing village of Porticello has been transformed by the tragic event. The world’s media has descended on the town, but the residents are left grappling with the shock and sorrow of the disaster. “Last Sunday night, we saw the end of the world in Porticello,” said local resident Maria Vizzo. “We’ve never seen something like this. Everyone here is shocked – and everyone is crying.”