Video: Bayesian superyacht raised from seabed off Sicily
Bayesian photographed in Milazzo Harbor; Sicily. before the accident. Image courtesy of Sfische via Wikimedia.
The British-flagged luxury superyacht Bayesian has been fully raised from the seabed nearly a year after it capsized and sank off the coast of Sicily, killing seven people, including British tech billionaire Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter, Hannah.
The 56-metre vessel had been lying at a depth of 50 metres since the early hours of 19 August 2024, when it sank near the small port of Porticello during a violent storm. The tragedy occurred while Lynch was reportedly celebrating his recent acquittal on fraud charges in the US with family and friends aboard. Fifteen people survived the sinking.
Among the other victims were Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy; US lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda; and Canadian-Antiguan national Recaldo Thomas, who was working as the yacht’s chef.
The raising operation, conducted by British-based consultancy TMC Marine, was described as one of the most complex maritime salvage efforts in recent years. “This was a complex and precise lifting operation to recover Bayesian, and followed a step-by-step programme of salvage work,” said Marcus Cave, a director of TMC Marine.
The operation was made easier after the vessel’s 72-metre mast was detached last week with a remote-controlled cutting tool and left on the seabed. The mast had to be removed to bring the hull to a nearly upright position, allowing it to be raised. Eight steel lifting straps were secured under the keel as part of a steel wire lifting system that slowly raised the vessel over three days. As the hull came up, seawater was pumped out and the yacht was stabilised by one of the most powerful maritime cranes in Europe.
Captain Nick Sloane, who led the salvage of the Costa Concordia in 2014, told Sky News before the salvage that the recovery would be intricate: “When they do that initial lift, they’ll stabilise it just off the seabed and they’ll do a double inspection to make sure that all the rigging points where the recovery straps are placed are in the right place.” He added that teams would “remove water from internal spaces and preserve any evidence for investigators,” noting that the yacht would ultimately be treated “as a graveyard.”
On Sunday, the Bayesian was moved to the Sicilian port of Termini Imerese, into a specially made steel cradle. Italian prosecutors based there are investigating the sinking and plan to conduct a forensic inspection of the wreck. Authorities are also examining whether a hatch remained open or whether the keel was improperly raised at the time of the incident.
A full criminal investigation has been launched in Italy, with prosecutors placing three crew members under investigation for suspected manslaughter and causing a shipwreck: the boat’s captain, James Cutfield from New Zealand, and two British crew members, Tim Parker Eaton and Matthew Griffiths. In Italy, such an investigation does not imply guilt or mean that formal charges will follow.
UK investigators with the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) released a preliminary report in May stating that the Bayesian was likely knocked over by “extreme wind” and could not recover. The report said the boat, anchored in what was believed to be a sheltered location, was hit by wind speeds exceeding 70 knots (81mph), which knocked it to a 90-degree angle in under 15 seconds. The MAIB noted that gusts of over 80mph “violently” hit the vessel, causing it to flood within seconds.
The report added that the yacht may have been particularly vulnerable to high winds when under engine power — a vulnerability that was “unknown to either the owner or the crew” because it was not included in the onboard stability information. One theory under review is that a “tornadic waterspout” may have been deflected by harbour docks and redirected toward the Bayesian.
Because the MAIB’s findings were based on a “limited amount of verified evidence” prior to the wreck’s retrieval, investigators from both the UK and Italy have emphasised the importance of raising the vessel to gain full insight into the sinking.
A previous attempt to raise the yacht was halted in May after the death of Dutch diver Rob Cornelis Maria Huijben, 39, during underwater work. The $30m recovery effort was delayed but resumed last week. As the wreck broke the surface of the sea between two crane platforms on Friday afternoon, its white superstructure and blue hull became visible for the first time.
The wreck was surrounded by pollution containment booms during the operation. Italian authorities had previously tightened security around the site amid speculation that the contents of watertight safes on board might be of interest to foreign governments.
Investigators are now preparing to conduct a forensic examination of the vessel at Termini Imerese as inquiries continue in both the UK and Italy into the tragedy.
