$30m salvage operation underway to recover sunken superyacht Bayesian
Rescue teams searching the wreck of the Bayesian. Image courtesy of Vigili del Fuoco.
A high-stakes international salvage mission is underway to recover the Bayesian, the 56-metre superyacht owned by late British tech magnate Mike Lynch.
The vessel sank in a freak storm off the coast of Sicily on 19 August, 2023, claiming seven lives, including Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter, Hannah.
Once described by its builders as “virtually unsinkable,” the Bayesian was anchored near the fishing village of Porticello when violent winds — gusting up to 110 km/h — overwhelmed the yacht, causing it to capsize within minutes. It now lies on its starboard side, 50 metres beneath the surface. Of the 22 people on board, comprising 12 guests and 10 crew, 15 were rescued. The voyage was reported to have been a private celebration of Lynch’s recent acquittal in a long-running US fraud case related to the sale of his company, Autonomy, to Hewlett-Packard.
The salvage operation is being led by TMC Marine, a UK-based consultancy, working on behalf of Bayesian’s insurer, British Marine. The heavy lifting is being carried out by Dutch companies Hebo Maritiemservice and Smit Salvage, both veterans of high-profile recoveries including the Ever Given in the Suez Canal and the Costa Concordia.
Two specialised barges form the backbone of the recovery. Hebo Lift 2, already on site, is equipped with advanced diving systems and underwater drones. The larger Hebo Lift 10, featuring an 83-metre crane and weighing over 5,600 tonnes, is en route from Rotterdam and expected to arrive in Porticello around 4 May.
The first challenge will be removing the yacht’s 72-metre mast — one of the tallest in the world. Divers will deploy a remotely operated saw over a metre wide to cut through the mast near its base. Only then can crews thread approximately ten steel cables beneath the wreck to form a lifting harness.
The actual hoisting operation, expected to take one to two days, will begin once sea and weather conditions are deemed safe. Unlike other operations, inflatable buoyancy aids will not be used, as the floating crane provides sufficient lifting capacity. Once stabilised and righted, the Bayesian will be transported by barge to Termini Imerese, a nearby port, where magistrates and safety investigators will begin an examination.
A major concern is the 18,000 litres of diesel fuel still onboard. Typically removed before lifting, in this case, experts opted to leave the fuel in place due to the relatively fragile aluminium tanks. Specialised underwater drones with laser scanners have already surveyed the wreck, confirming its location and checking for any fuel leaks. None have been detected so far.
Hebo and Smit’s crews are reportedly operating under non-disclosure agreements due to the sensitivity and media interest surrounding the recovery.
Sicilian prosecutors are treating the incident as a suspected case of manslaughter and negligent shipwreck. Three crew members, including New Zealand-born Captain James Cutfield and two British nationals, Tim Parker Eaton and Matthew Griffiths, are under investigation.
The UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) will also be present, as the yacht was British-flagged and registered in the Isle of Man under a company controlled by Lynch’s widow, Angela Bacares, who survived the tragedy.
The cause of the rapid sinking remains unclear. The yacht’s Italian manufacturer, Perini Navi, and its parent company, the Italian Sea Group, maintain that the vessel was structurally sound and have suggested that water may have entered through an open hatch or door. However, some experts have speculated that the yacht’s enormous mast could have contributed to instability during the storm. The manufacturer has threatened legal action in response to these claims.
As the salvage date approaches, Porticello has become a media hotspot. According to La Repubblica, over 500 visitors have made reservations in nearby accommodations.
The lifting operation is projected to take place in mid-May, with full clearance of the seabed and debris expected by the end of the month. The total cost of the operation is estimated at $30 million (£22.5 million), fully funded by the yacht’s insurers.
Once ashore, the Bayesian will be examined by forensic engineers and magistrates at a secure dock in Termini Imerese, a process expected to take months. Investigators hope the physical evidence will answer lingering questions about how a state-of-the-art superyacht, outfitted with the latest marine safety systems, could have succumbed so quickly to the elements.
