Bayesian superyacht sinking: Manslaughter investigation considered, sixth body has been recovered

Italian authorities are considering opening a manslaughter investigation following the sinking of the Bayesian superyacht off the coast of Sicily that claimed seven lives, according to Italian media.

The latest development comes as a body believed to be that of tech billionaire Mike Lynch’s daughter Hannah has been recovered from the wreckage, the Italian coastguard told The Telegraph.

The body was recovered by divers overnight Friday.

New Zealand citizen James Cutfield, 51, was captain of the Bayesian when it sank off the coast of Porticello, near Palermo during a storm.

Cutfield told Italian media of the abrupt nature of the water spout that made a death trap out of the superyacht.

“We just didn’t see it coming,” he said.

More details from the prosecutor’s office of Termini Imerese, led by Ambrogio Cartosio, are set to be revealed at a press conference on Saturday night (New Zealand time). The investigators are looking into offences of “shipwreck” and also potential counts of “culpable homicide” against “an unknown person”, according to Palermo Today.

According to Italian media outlet Giornale Di Sicilia, Cutfield was questioned for two hours while prosecutors attempted to piece together the superyacht’s final moments.

Search and rescue teams diving off the coast of Palermo, Sicily. Photo / Vigil Fuoco

Cutfield’s brother Mark told the Herald his brother was a “very good sailor” and was “very well respected” in the Mediterranean.

Earlier this week Cutfield was in hospital but was not suffering from injuries “too dramatic”, his brother said.

“He’s safe, he’s okay.”

Also aboard the yacht were Kiwi Ayla Ronald, 36, a senior associate for Clifford Chance in London, and her partner Matthew Fletcher. They were among the 15 people who were rescued.

The Bayesian was built by Italian shipbuilder Perini in 2008 and was last refitted in 2020, and was managed by yachting company Camper & Nicholsons.

It won a string of awards for its design and can accommodate up to 12 guests in six suites and a crew of 10, according to online specialist yacht sites.

James Cutfield, the Kiwi captain of S/Y Bayesian, the superyacht that capsized off Palermo. Photo / Perini Navi / Facebook

Formerly known as Salute, or health in Italian, its 75m mast is the tallest aluminium mast in the world, Perini said on its website.

The boat left the Sicilian port of Milazzo on August 14 and was last tracked east of Palermo on Sunday evening, with a navigation status of “at anchor”, according to vessel tracking app Vesselfinder.