Latest on Mike Lynch’s yacht sinking: Captain refuses to answer questions as two crew members face investigation

The captain of the Bayesian ship insisted that he did not see the storm that sank the Bayesian ship last week.

Speaking about the storm, James Cutfield, 51, said Tuesday: “We didn’t expect it.”

A judicial official who asked not to be named told Reuters on Monday that Italian media reports had indicated that Italian prosecutors were investigating the New Zealander after the luxury yacht capsized in a hurricane off the coast of Sicily on Monday.

British tech mogul Mike Lynch was among seven people killed after the luxury yacht Paisian sank off the coast of Sicily.

The 59-year-old is best known for founding Invoke Capital and Autonomy Corporation and was in the headlines after being acquitted of charges in a high-profile fraud case.

Lynch and his wife Angela Bakaris were once called the “Britain’s Bill Gates”, and their fortune was estimated at £852 million in 2023 according to the Sunday Times Rich List.

He then went to Cambridge University and started his first business while studying for a PhD in signal processing and communications research.

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Italian authorities are investigating three people for manslaughter after the Albaicin yacht sank off the coast of Sicily.

Ship’s engineer Tim Parker-Eaton is one of two British crew members now being investigated.

A source told Reuters that there is suspicion that Parker Eaton failed to protect the yacht’s engine room and operating systems.

An investigation does not mean a conviction, nor does it necessarily mean formal charges.

Five bodies were found in the same cabin on the Baysian, while Hannah Lynch’s body was found alone in another cabin, according to Italian officials.

The five people found together by divers appear to have huddled in the first cabin on the left of the luxury yacht in an attempt to escape, it was reported. TelegraphWhile the 18-year-old girl was found in the third cabin on the left, alone.

“The yacht was listing to the right and it is clear that the bodies tried to go to the other side and take shelter in their cabins,” Girolamo Bentivoglio Fiandra, a senior fire service officer, said on Saturday. “We found five bodies in a cabin on the left and another in the third cabin on the left. It was on the top of the shipwreck.”

The sinking of the Baysian off the coast of Sicily has made headlines around the world, with interest heightened when it was revealed that British tech mogul Mike Lynch was among those on board.

It turned out that the cruise was a celebration by Mr. Lynch with friends, colleagues and his legal team after winning a decade-long legal battle.

Here’s who was on board the ship during the tragedy:

Prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio confirmed the opening of an investigation on Saturday.

He said his team would examine every possible element of liability, including the responsibility of the captain, the crew, the individuals responsible for supervision, and the yacht’s manufacturer.

The 184-foot (56-metre) British-flagged luxury yacht “Baizian” sank near a Mediterranean island in southern Italy on Monday.

Investigators are focusing on how the ship, deemed “unsinkable” by its manufacturer, Italian shipyard Perini Navi, sank while a nearby sailboat remained largely unscathed.

Prosecutors said the event was “extremely rapid” and may have been a “burst” – a strong local wind that descends from a thunderstorm and spreads quickly upon hitting the ground.

The crew, except for the cook, were rescued, while six passengers were trapped inside the hull.

Leaving doors and hatches open all night on the luxury yacht “Baizian” may have caused it to sink in Italy, a sailing expert has said.

Sam Jefferson, editor of Sailing Today magazine, believes the ship’s massive mast also likely contributed to the fatal accident.

“I would say the boat was hit hard by the wind and flipped on its side,” Jefferson told the Palestinian news agency.

“I imagine all the doors were open because it was hot, so there were enough holes and doors open that it would have filled with water very quickly and sunk like that.

The reason it was so firmly fixed was because the mast was so massive.

“It was like a sail. It pushed the boat hard on its side.

“The boat filled with water before she could get back.

“This is all just speculation, but it’s the only logical explanation.”

The yacht captain’s lawyer said his client chose not to answer prosecutors’ questions when he was spoken to for a third time on Tuesday.

James Cutfield, a 51-year-old New Zealand national, is under investigation for manslaughter and causing a shipwreck.

“The captain has exercised his right to remain silent for two fundamental reasons,” lawyer Giovanni Rizzotti told reporters. “First, he is very tired. Second, we were only appointed on Monday, and in order to be able to present a comprehensive and correct defense, we need to have access to a set of data that we do not have at the moment.”

Being placed under investigation does not necessarily mean that a person has been convicted or charged. Prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio said his team would examine every possible element of liability, including those of the captain, the crew, the individuals responsible for supervision and the yacht’s manufacturer.

The Times A lawyer for Mr. Catfield said the captain was “understandably very upset” after Monday’s ordeal.

Italian authorities are investigating three people for manslaughter after the Albaicin yacht sank off the coast of Sicily.

On Monday, the boat’s captain, James Cutfield, 51, from New Zealand, was placed under investigation. He refused to answer prosecutors during questioning on Tuesday.

Two British crew members are now under investigation. Ship engineer Tim Parker-Eaton and seaman Matthew Griffiths are being investigated for the same offences.

A source told Reuters that there is suspicion that Parker Eaton failed to protect the yacht’s engine room and operating systems.

An investigation does not mean a conviction, nor does it necessarily mean formal charges.