Diver Dies During Salvage Of Tech Tycoon’s Sunken Yacht In Italy

A Dutch diver died during the early stages of a complex recovery operation to raise the sunken superyacht of British tech tycoon Mike Lynch off the coast of northern Sicily on May 9, 2025, Italian police confirmed.

The incident took place underwater in the waters near Porticello, a small port close to Palermo, where the 56-meter-long (184-foot) luxury yacht Bayesian sank during a violent storm last August. Authorities said the exact cause of the diver’s death is still being investigated.

Local media reported that the deceased was a 39-year-old Dutch national employed by Hebo Maritiemservice, a Netherlands-based specialist salvage firm.

According to Italian news agency AGI, the diver was struck by a piece of metal while attempting to cut the boom– a large horizontal pole connected to the yacht’s towering mast– from the wreck underwater.

The salvage operation is being overseen by British marine consultancy TMC Marine, in collaboration with Dutch maritime firms Hebo and SMIT Salvage, along with support from Italian marine experts.

TMC Marine, in a statement, confirmed the diver’s death and said that authorities are investigating the incident. The consultancy added that all involved parties are fully cooperating and extended their condolences to the diver’s family.

Around 70 specialist personnel from across Europe have been deployed to Sicily to work on the effort to recover the Bayesian, which lies on the seabed at a depth of approximately 50 meters (164 feet).

Salvage teams had recently resumed operations with an updated underwater survey, which found that the yacht’s condition had not changed since the last inspection.

The operation includes stabilising the Bayesian in an upright position using steel slings before beginning the lifting process. Its extensive rigging and 72-meter (236-foot) mast– considered one of the tallest in the world– are to be detached and stored temporarily on the seabed for later retrieval.

Seawater will then be pumped out of the hull before the vessel is brought to the surface and transported to port.

The Bayesian sank on August 19, 2023, just five days after setting sail from Italy. It had been anchored off Porticello when it was hit by a downburst– a strong, downward wind burst – during a freak storm. The sudden sinking claimed seven lives out of the 22 people onboard.

Those killed included 59-year-old Mike Lynch, founder of the software giant Autonomy, and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah. Also among the deceased were 70-year-old Jonathan Bloomer, chairman of Morgan Stanley International, and his wife Judy, 71; U.S. lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda; and the yacht’s chef, Recaldo Thomas, originally from Antigua.

The remaining 15 people managed to survive after escaping in a lifeboat, including a one-year-old child and Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares.

Investigators have raised concerns about how a vessel of Bayesian’s size and quality could have sunk so quickly. Naval experts say it should have been able to withstand the storm and are hoping the salvage will reveal crucial evidence to understand the cause of the sinking.

No pollution from the wreck has been reported so far. Authorities are closely monitoring the situation and have taken steps to seal tank vents and other openings to prevent any environmental damage.

Inquest proceedings are underway in the UK to examine the deaths of Mr Lynch, his daughter Hannah, and the Bloomers, all of whom were British nationals.

The Lynch family lived in the London area, while the Bloomers were residents of Sevenoaks, Kent.

The ill-fated boat trip was meant to celebrate Mike Lynch’s acquittal in a U.S. court last year, where he was cleared of fraud charges related to the $11 billion sale of Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard in 2011.

References: BBC, CNN

Source: Maritime Shipping News