Crew Member Of Sunken Tech Tycoon’s Yacht Recalls Being Thrown Overboard

A crew member aboard Mike Lynch’s sunken luxury yacht, the Bayesian, has recalled the horrifying circumstances that led to the vessel’s sinking off the coast of Porticello, Sicily, earlier this month, killing the British Tech mogul Lynch and six others.

Matthew Griffiths, on watch duty the night of the incident, described the intense struggle to save the passengers as the yacht capsized in a storm on August 19, 2024.

Griffiths alerted the yacht’s captain, James Cutfield when wind speeds reached 20 knots (23mph/37 kph). The captain then ordered the crew to wake the remaining passengers.

According to Griffiths, as the ship tilted, the crew was thrown into the water but got back onboard to rescue those trapped. He detailed that they walked on the boat’s walls and saved whoever they could. The ship’s captain also saved Charlotte Golunski and her one-year-old daughter.

The Italian authorities are currently investigating Cutfield, Griffiths, and ship engineer Tim Parker Eaton for suspected manslaughter and shipwreck.

It is essential to understand that an inquiry does not imply guilt, and formal charges may not be filed.

Video Credits: Guardia Costiera/Facebook

The yacht’s abrupt sinking caught the attention of naval experts who believed that a yacht of the Bayesian standard manufactured by renowned Italian manufacturer Perini should have been able to withstand the storm and remain afloat for longer.

The public prosecutor’s office in Termini Imerese, near Palermo, is examining the possibility of manslaughter and shipwreck.

Prosecutor Raffaele Cammarano speculated that a strong downward wind, known as a downburst, may have caused the tragic incident.

However, the yacht’s sudden sinking remains a mystery.

The investigation is still underway, with the wreck yet to be retrieved from the sea.

Hannah, Lynch’s 18-year-old daughter, was among those dead, along with six other people.

Mike Lynch, the founder of Autonomy, was celebrating his recent acquittal in a fraud trial with friends and family aboard the yacht. In a separate incident, Stephen Chamberlain, a former vice president of finance of Autonomy and a defendant in the fraud trial, died just days before the Bayesian sank.

Reference: Reuters

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Source: Maritime Shipping News