The investigation into the dramatic sinking of a luxury yacht off the coast of Sicily continues and is exploring the possibility of human error. James Cutfield, captain of the superyacht, is now under investigation for involuntary manslaughter, Italian media reported on Monday. The 51-year-old New Zealander is one of 15 survivors of the Bayesian sinking, which killed seven people, including British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his daughter.
Prosecutors on the Italian island said Saturday they were investigating possible crimes of “negligent shipwreck” and “multiple negligent homicide” in the sinking, which occurred during a pre-dawn storm on Monday, August 19. No suspects have been named yet, with authorities stressing that the investigation is still in its early stages. The prosecutors’ office declined to comment when contacted by AFP on Monday.
A “virtually unsinkable” yacht
According to theItalian news agency AnsaJames Cutfield was questioned for the second time in a week on Sunday afternoon by magistrates at the Termini Imerese prosecutor’s office in Sicily. The captain was questioned on several aspects, including the time when the alarm was triggered following the worsening weather conditions, whether the side doors were closed, and the position of the boat’s tender.
Investigators have pieced together the 32 minutes between the start of the sinking, when the yacht began taking on water, and the firing of a distress flare. Many questions remain, including the fact that the boat, equipped with advanced technological systems, was considered virtually unsinkable.
Five victims found in the same cabin
Mike Lynch, 59, a wealthy businessman dubbed the “British Bill Gates,” was celebrating with friends, associates and lawyers his acquittal in June in a fraud trial in the United States that could have landed him years in prison. The 180-foot yacht they were on was hit by a mini-tornado while anchored off Porticello, near Palermo. The body of the yacht’s cook was quickly recovered, while six other people, including Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah, were missing.
After a massive search, divers recovered the bodies of four of the tech mogul’s friends on Wednesday, followed by Mike Lynch on Thursday, and his daughter Hannah on Friday. The six victims were found in cabins near the surface: five bodies in one, and Hannah’s in another. Authorities believe they likely sought refuge there while trying to find air pockets. The yacht currently rests about 50 meters below the surface.