Latest news with #MikeLynch
Times
3 hours ago
- Times
As the Bayesian yacht is raised the search for answers continues
Ten months after it sank in a freak storm off the Sicilian coast, claiming seven lives, the superyacht Bayesian re-emerged on Friday, hoisted from the depths by a giant floating crane. The £30 million vessel reappeared at about 1pm under a bright blue sky, covered in mud and algae, its canopy shredded and its once shiny guard rails mangled. Salvage workers in hard hats clambered on board the still partially submerged yacht to check damage before they are due to lift it clear of the sea on Saturday. The salvage operation was the latest chapter in the tragedy of the Bayesian, which tilted over and sank 50m to the sea bed outside the fishing port of Porticello in the early hours of August 19, killing Mike Lynch, a British tech tycoon, and six others, including his daughter Hannah, 18.
The Independent
4 hours ago
- Business
- The Independent
Mike Lynch's sunken yacht glimpsed above surface ahead of being fully raised
Tech tycoon Mike Lynch's sunken superyacht has been glimpsed above water ahead of being fully raised from the seabed off the coast of Sicily. Seven people died when the Bayesian sank off the coast of the Italian island on August 19, including billionaire Mr Lynch, 59, and his daughter Hannah, 18. The 56-metre (184ft) yacht is set to be lifted to the surface near the fishing town of Porticello over the weekend before being taken to nearby Termini Imerese — where Italian prosecutors investigating the sinking are based. On Friday, parts of the accommodation areas above deck and the hull were seen above the surface as teams worked to install additional lifting straps before the yacht was lowered back under the waterline ahead of being fully raised at the weekend. Investigators in the UK and Italy say raising the vessel is crucial to fully understanding what happened. Last week, salvage teams expected the boat to be raised later in June, but thanks to 'accelerated progress', the timeline was brought forward. The yacht's 72-metre (236ft) mast was cut off on Tuesday using a remote-controlled tool and rested on the seabed to be picked up later. Over the last few days, salvage teams worked to ease the hull into an upright position and give access to the yacht's right side, which had previously been lying flat on the seabed 50 metres below the surface. The yacht is currently supported by strong steel straps attached to Hebo Lift 10 — one of Europe's most powerful sea cranes. If all goes to plan, sea water will be pumped out of the hull as the boat is raised to the surface before being carried to Termini Imerese on Monday, where it will be lifted onto a specially made steel cradle on the quayside. Marcus Cave of British firm TMC Marine, which is overseeing the salvage efforts, said: 'The salvage team has made very substantive progress in the last 10 days. 'They are now preparing for the final, complex and delicate lifting operation, to bring Bayesian to the surface and ultimately into port.' The vessel was originally expected to be raised last month but salvage efforts were delayed after a diver died during underwater work on May 9, prompting greater use of remote-controlled equipment. About 70 specialist personnel had been mobilised to the fishing village of Porticello from across Europe to work on the recovery operation, which began last month. Inquest proceedings in the UK are looking at the deaths of Mr Lynch and his daughter, as well as Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer, 70, and his wife, Judy Bloomer, 71, who were all British nationals. Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) investigators said in an interim report that the Bayesian was knocked over by 'extreme wind'. The yacht had a vulnerability to winds but the owner and crew would not have known, the report said. US lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda Morvillo, and Canadian-Antiguan national Recaldo Thomas, who was working as a chef on the vessel, also died in the sinking. Fifteen people, including Mr Lynch's wife, Angela Bacares, were rescued. Mr Lynch and his daughter were said to have lived in the vicinity of London and the Bloomers lived in Sevenoaks in Kent. The tycoon founded software giant Autonomy in 1996 and was cleared in June last year of carrying out a massive fraud over the sale of the firm to Hewlett-Packard (HP) in 2011. The boat trip was a celebration of his acquittal in the case in the US.
Sky News
5 hours ago
- Sky News
Bayesian: Sunken British superyacht emerges from seabed
Salvage teams have managed to raise a British superyacht which capsized and sank 10 months ago off the coast of Sicily during a storm. The white top and blue hull of the 56-metre (184ft) Bayesian emerged from the depths of the sea for the first time since the tragedy last August which claimed seven lives, including tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his daughter. TMC Maritime, which is conducting the recovery operation, said the vessel has been slowly raised from the seabed, 50 metres (165ft) down, over the past three days to allow the steel lifting straps, slings and harnesses to be secured under the keel. On Friday, the top of the passenger area - where the accommodation was located - became visible above the water. Captain Nick Sloane, who was behind the salvage of the Costa Concordia cruise ship in 2014, told Sky News's Ashna Hurynag this recovery operation will be a complex process. He said: "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." Captain Sloane said experts will inspect the base for other damage, remove water from internal spaces and preserve any evidence for investigators, but he added that ultimately, salvage teams will treat the yacht "as a graveyard". "It's a very high-profile recovery because of the incident and the personalities that were lost in the tragedy," he said. The British-flagged luxury superyacht sank on 19 August 2024 off Porticello near Palermo during a violent storm, killing the boat's owner Mike Lynch, his 18-year-old daughter Hannah and five others. Fifteen people survived, including Mr Lynch's wife Angela Bacares, the captain and all crew members except the chef. Work began in May to recover the ship, with pieces of wreckage being pulled from the water, although progress has been hampered after a diver died last month during salvage efforts. 2:03 When the Bayesian resurfaced, the vessel was missing its 72-metre (236ft) mast, which was cut down and left on the seabed for future removal. The mast had to be detached to allow the hull to be brought to a nearly upright position that would allow the craft to be surfaced, TMC Maritime said earlier this week. Inquest proceedings in the UK are looking at the deaths of Mr Lynch and his daughter, as well as Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy, who were all British nationals. The others who died in the sinking were US lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda Morvillo, and Canadian-Antiguan national Recaldo Thomas, who was working as a chef on the vessel. UK investigators issued an interim report in May which said the yacht was knocked over by "extreme wind" and could not recover. The report stated that the Bayesian had chosen the site where it sank as shelter from forecast thunderstorms. Wind speeds exceeded 70 knots (81mph) at the time of the sinking and "violently" knocked the vessel over to a 90-degree angle in under 15 seconds. Mr Lynch had been celebrating his recent acquittal on fraud charges with his family and the people who had defended him at trial.
Toronto Star
6 hours ago
- Toronto Star
Superyacht raised from seabed 10 months after sinking off Sicily with loss of 7 lives
ROME (AP) — A British-flagged luxury superyacht that sank off Sicily last year, killing U.K. tech magnate Mike Lynch and six others, resurfaced on Friday as salvage recovery crews readied it to be hauled ashore for further investigation. The white top and blue hull of the 56-meter (184-foot) Bayesian emerged in a holding area of a yellow floating crane barge. The coast guard and salvage team said the actual recovery is scheduled to begin Saturday, weather permitting.
CTV News
7 hours ago
- CTV News
British superyacht Bayesian resurfaces for 1st time since August sinking ahead of recovery
Italian Coast Guard's Luigi Dattilo patrol boat, left, assists the multi-purpose floating work barge Hebo Lift 2 monitoring the stretch of sea off Porticello, near Palermo, Sicily, Italy, Sunday, May 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Salvatore Cavalli) ROME — The British superyacht that sank off Sicily last August killing seven people resurfaced for the first time Friday as salvage recovery crews readied it to be hauled ashore for further investigation. The white top and blue hull of the 56-metre (184-foot) Bayesian emerged from the depths of the sea in a holding area of a yellow floating crane barge. The coast guard said the actual recovery was scheduled to begin Saturday morning. A spokesman for TMC Maritime, which is conducting the recovery operation, said the vessel has been slowly raised from the seabed, 50 metres (165-feet) down, over the past three days to allow the steel lifting straps, slings and harnesses to be secured under the keel. What became visible for the first time Friday on the surface of the water was the top of the passenger area of the Bayesian where passengers would sit, known as the accommodation area, said a spokesman for TMC Maritime, David Wilson. The British-flagged luxury superyacht sank Aug. 19 off Porticello near Palermo during a violent storm, killing U.K. tech magnate Mike Lynch, his daughter and five others. Fifteen people survived, including the captain and all crew members except the chef. Italian authorities are conducting a full criminal investigation. When it resurfaced, the Bayesian was missing its 72-metre (236-foot) mast, which was cut down and left on the seabed for future removal. The mast had to be detached to allow the hull to be brought to a nearly upright position that would allow the craft to be surfaced, TMC Maritime said earlier this week. British investigators said in an interim report issued last month that the yacht was knocked over by 'extreme wind' and couldn't recover. The report stated that the Bayesian had chosen the site where it sank as shelter from forecast thunderstorms. Wind speeds exceeded 70 knots at the time of the sinking and 'violently' knocked the vessel over to a 90-degree angle in under 15 seconds. Lynch had been celebrating his recent acquittal on fraud charges with his family and the people who had defended him at trial. The Associated Press
