Minutes Before Deadly Yacht Sinking, Deckhand Filmed Video of Looming Squall Before Alerting Skipper: Report
The U.K.'s Marine Accident Investigation Branch released their interim findings on Wednesday, May 14, which included a reconstruction of the final moments before the deadly Sicily yacht sinking
The investigation alleged that minutes before the vessel began to sink, a deckhand filmed the storm and posted it on social media before closing the hatches and waking up the skipper
When the yacht capsized, seven of the 22 people aboard diedMinutes before the luxury Bayesian yacht began sinking off the coast of Sicily, killing seven, a deckhand allegedly filmed the incoming storm and posted it on social media before closing the hatches and waking up the skipper, according to a new report.
The U.K.'s Marine Accident Investigation Branch released the interim findings of their safety investigation on Wednesday, May 14, which included a reconstruction of the final minutes before the ship sank.
The investigation found that at 3 a.m. local time on Aug. 19 — just over an hour before the ship tipped over and began to sink — a deckhand, identified as Matthew Griffiths by The New York Times, noticed that "thunderclouds and lightning" seemed to be coming in closer proximity to the yacht.
Ahead of the incident, local weather forecasts had predicted 'intense and persistent rain" accompanied by "strong wind gusts," according to the report — so the skipper left instructions to be woken up if the wind exceeded 20 knots, or about 23 miles per hour.
At the time the deckhand first noticed the approaching storm, the wind was still just 8 knots, or about 9 miles per hour.
Around 3:55 a.m., the deckhand allegedly took a video of the advancing storm and posted the footage to social media before closing hatches and the cockpit windows. By this time, the wind had reached 30 knots, or about 34 miles per hour, and the ship was beginning to lean to one side — and the deckhand ran to wake the skipper, which happened around 4 a.m.
At that point, the chief engineer had also woken up and went to the control room to try and maneuver the ship while the skipper attempted to steer from the fly bridge.
But within minutes, the wind picked up and by 4:06 a.m., the ship "violently heeled over" to 90 degrees, then sank.
Of the 12 passengers and 10 crew members who first set sail aboard the Bayesian on Aug. 14, seven were trapped and died when the boat sunk: British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch and his daughter, Hannah Lynch; New York City lawyer Christopher Morvillo and his wife, Neda; and Morgan Stanley International chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife, Judy; and yacht chef Recaldo Thomas.
The Italian manufacturer of the ship previously claimed that when run correctly, the Bayesian was 'unsinkable,' according to The New York Times.
The investigation found that some of the ship's vulnerabilities to weather were not known to the owner or crew, so they were unaware of the danger they faced with the approaching storm. Although questions had been raised about whether the boat was properly secured, the new report stated weather was the primary risk.
Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Crew members all spoke with investigators in the weeks after the tragedy.
In addition to the safety investigation, a parallel criminal investigation is being led by the local prosecutor's in Sicily.
The deckhand as well as the ship's skipper and chief engineer are all reportedly under investigation for possible multiple manslaughter and negligent shipwreck charges, but have not yet been formally accused of any crime.
Read the original article on People
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
43 minutes ago
- Yahoo
LA police shot my photographer in the head
A pepper ball round thwacks my colleague in the side of the head as we run away from police. A cloud of the irritant fills the air, coating my goggles, followed by a crackle and the glare of flash bangs. 'Go, go, go!' he shouts. Police officers are firing into the crowd protesting against Donald Trump's immigration crackdown in downtown Los Angeles. Once again, reporters appear to be in the crosshairs. Jon Putman, The Telegraph's photographer, took a blow to the head, one of many journalists hit or detained since protests broke out on Friday. Jon was struck in the ear, narrowly avoiding a serious injury. 'If it hit me right in the head it would have knocked me down and I would have been out of commission,' he said. Los Angeles is being heavily militarised. Mr Trump sent in 1,700 of National Guard over the weekend, and a further 700 marines on Monday. There are now more US soldiers here than in Syria. We weren't the only journalists to come under fire amidst the protests on Monday night, which appear to be shrinking in scale but not have been more than two dozen attacks on reporters covering the Los Angeles riots in the past few days, with clearly identified members of the press having been shot at point-blank range by police officers. An Australian broadcaster was shot in the leg, a New York Post photographer in the head and a CNN reporter was briefly detained live on air. Credit: CNN British photojournalist Nick Stern required emergency surgery after being shot by an explosive round on Saturday. Sergio Olmos, an investigative reporter for the nonprofit news outlet CalMatters, told the Washington Post that he had never seen more non-lethal rounds used at a protest. On Monday evening, the smell of paint lingered in the air in Los Angeles as teenagers spray painted the pavements, walls and bus stops with slogans such as 'fight hate with hate' and 'I'll be here till I decide not to be'. Snipers stationed on the roof of the Federal Building watched through binoculars as protesters climbed traffic lights and revved their motorcycles. A black Cybertruck graffitied with 'f--- ICE' [US Immigration and Customs Enforcement] was filmed driving around the protest with a Mexican flag attached to the back. On Sunday, demonstrators torched self-driving cars, threw Molotov cocktails, fireworks and scooters at police officers. Officers have fired non-lethal rounds into crowds, and in at least one instance were filmed firing pepper ball rounds (small plastic bullets filled with irritant) point blank at a protester before hitting him with batons. Credit: @Julio_Rosas11/X In another, ICE officers swept in on a man in a yellow jacket before tackling him to the ground and arresting him, while other protesters were detained, their hands zip-tied behind their backs, and put into police vans. The protests erupted in the city on Friday in response to ICE officers conducting a string of raids as part of Mr Trump's aggressive immigration policies. More than 40 people – said to be day labourers – were targeted at a Home Depot car park and Ambiance Apparel, a clothing manufacturer, in LA's fashion district. The crackdown is the Trump administration's latest test to the limits to his presidential authority to force Democrat-run states to adhere to federal decree, while also attempting to show its might by ordering troops onto the streets. US Marines have been deployed domestically for major disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and the September 11 attacks in 2001, but it is extremely rare for the military to be used for domestic policing. When all the deployed officers arrive, it will mean there are more than 4,000 troops in Los Angeles, more than double the number of US troops in Syria. Credit: Sergio Olmos/X The news of yet more reinforcements further inflamed tensions between Gavin Newsom, the California governor, and Mr Trump, who continued to publicly attack each other on Monday. Mr Newsom, who has sued the administration to try and block the deployment of marines and troops, accused the Trump administration of mistreating those already in the city, of which only 300 have so far have been deployed. Sharing a picture of troops dressed in fatigues sleeping on the floor, Mr Newsom wrote: 'If anyone is treating our troops disrespectfully, it is you.'He urged the US president to 'grow up' and urged him 'get it over with, arrest me, move on, if you need some head to scalp do it with me'. Justifying the decision to deploy troops to Los Angeles, Kristi Noem, secretary of homeland security, claimed ICE agents were targeting the 'worst of the worst' – criminal illegal immigrants hiding among law-abiding communities. But advocates for immigrants' rights have argued that day labourers being detained outside Home Depot stores suggests otherwise. Julie Flores, 21, wrapped herself in a Mexican flag as she stood on the bonnet of a black car sprayed with the words 'f--- ICE'. The student told The Telegraph the protests 'hit close to home' because her father Jerry Flores, 39, who is originally from Guerrero in Mexico was detained by agents when she was at middle school. 'My grandma would probably not like me being out here... we're out here showing our support, doing the best we can do,' she said. On Monday, Karen Bass, the Los Angeles mayor, condemned the ICE raids, claiming they had brought 'fear and terror' to the streets of Los Angeles and were to blame for the unrest. Yurien, 20, found out ICE agents were targeting her father Mario's work at Ambiance Apparel when he messaged her to tell her he was hiding. 'I said 'OK dad, I love you, don't make any noise… I told him I loved him again. He said 'me too, I love you guys…' and since then, I haven't had communication with him,' she told The Telegraph. Yurien, who did not want to give her last name, said she raced to the workplace in downtown Los Angeles and saw her father, who is from Mexico and has lived in the US for decades, being escorted to a van and driven away. 'I felt devastated, mad, angry... because there was nothing I could do to stop it,' she said, clutching a poster which read 'dad, come back home'. University student Montserrat Arrazola, 22, also saw her father being detained by ICE agents on Friday after she rushed to Ambiance Apparel when she saw the raid was happening on TikTok. Speaking to The Telegraph after a press conference outside the clothing manufacturer on Monday morning, she said: 'I felt powerless. I felt like I had my hands tied because I couldn't do anything.' She has managed to speak to her father, Jorge, who moved to the US from Mexico 'many years ago' on the phone once since then. He said he was okay. 'I have a lot of emotions running through me. I can't really explain,' she said, adding that she had not been to any of the protests that have broken out in response. Joanna Lopez, 17, discovered three of her uncles, who had all moved to the US from Mexico as teenagers, had been detained on Friday after she also saw it unfold on social media. 'I just feel for everybody whose families are being taken away right now,' she said. Ms Lopez, who attended the protest later that day, said she was 'very disappointed' in the people who had turned to violence and vandalism, adding that it portrays the scores of peaceful protesters in a bad light. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
43 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Why a judge dismissed Justin Baldoni's lawsuit against Blake Lively and The New York Times
A federal judge dismissed actor Justin Baldoni's extortion and defamation claims he brought against actress Blake Lively, The New York Times and others, while still giving Baldoni a chance to pursue limited contract-related claims in the legal feud between the 'It Ends With Us' co-stars. Baldoni's legal complaint came in January after Lively brought her own in December alleging sexual harassment, retaliation, breach of contract and intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress. Her suit is still pending. Dismissing Baldoni's claims in a 132-page opinion Monday, U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman in New York summarized them in two broad categories: First, that Lively, helped by actor Ryan Reynolds (Lively's husband) and publicist Leslie Sloane, threatened to refuse to promote the film, which Baldoni directed, and to attack him in the press if she didn't get control and credit. And second, that Lively, Sloane, Reynolds and the Times spread a false narrative that Baldoni committed sexual misconduct against Lively and engaged in a smear campaign against her. Rejecting the first category, Liman said Baldoni failed to adequately allege that Lively's threats were extortion rather than just bargaining over working conditions. Rejecting the second category, Liman said Baldoni failed to adequately allege any false statements made to the Times, other than statements made by Lively in a complaint she filed with the California Civil Rights Department, which Liman said were legally privileged. The Times published a December story headlined, ''We Can Bury Anyone': Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine,' citing Lively's complaint. Liman said Baldoni has until June 23 to file an amended complaint limited to certain contract-related claims. Subscribe to the Deadline: Legal Newsletter for expert analysis on the top legal stories of the week, including updates from the Supreme Court and developments in the Trump administration's legal cases. This article was originally published on
Yahoo
43 minutes ago
- Yahoo
CNN reporter detained during LA protests live on air
Credit: CNN A CNN reporter was detained by police live on air while covering the protests in Los Angeles. Jason Carroll was led away by officers on Monday night with his hands held behind his back, despite identifying himself as a correspondent with the broadcaster. 'I'm being detained… I'm not being arrested, correct officers?' he could be heard saying, as he was taken outside a security perimeter. Mr Carroll, who appears to have been detained for under 30 seconds, said the incident was unusual because police normally 'realise that the press is there doing a job'. 'You take a lot of risks as press – this is low on that sort of scale of risks. But it is something that I wasn't expecting, simply because we've been out here all day,' he said. CNN said two of its security personnel were also briefly detained by the police before being released without charge. Several journalists were shot by officers using non-lethal rounds as they covered the protests over the weekend, including Nick Stern, a British photographer, The New York Post's Toby Canham, and Australian TV reporter Lauren Tomasi. Anthony Albanese, the Australian prime minister, described Ms Tomasi's experience as 'horrific' and said he had raised the issue with the US government. Donald Trump deployed 2,000 members of the National Guard to Los Angeles over the weekend, prompting a power struggle with Gavin Newsom, the California governor, and a further 700 US marines were expected to arrive on Monday night. On Monday, Mr Newsom announced he would sue the Trump administration over the deployments, accusing the US president of seeking to inflame the demonstrations that erupted over immigration raids. 'It's a blatant abuse of power. We will sue to stop this,' he said on social media. 'The Courts and Congress must act. Checks and balances are crumbling. This is a red line – and they're crossing it. Wake up!' However, John Fetterman, the Democrat senator for Pennsylvania, has criticised his party for failing to call out 'anarchy and true chaos', which have seen cars torches and shops looted. 'My party loses the moral high ground when we refuse to condemn setting cars on fire, destroying buildings, and assaulting law enforcement,' he said. White House sources have said they view the riots as a political opportunity that would put the Democrats on the side of protesters and against the views of the majority of Americans. 'We couldn't script this any better... Democrats are again on the '20' side of an 80-20 issue,' a person close to the administration told Politico. 'We're happy to have this fight,' a White House official quoted by NBC News said. A Trump adviser said the government's response was 'what America voted for' in last year's election, adding: 'This is the America First focus that got the president elected and is driven by nothing else than what he promised American voters.' Tensions have flared elsewhere in the US, with protesters clashing with law enforcement and being arrested in Dallas and Austin at rallies against immigration and customs enforcement (ICE). Mr Trump is also using the opportunity to push his 'one big, beautiful' tax-and-spend bill through the Senate, Axios reported. Republican senators are apparently being told by the president they need to pass the legislation, which is facing an uncertain passage through Congress, to release federal funds for immigration enforcement. 'It's the best BBB [big beautiful bill] marketing ever. It has brought the critical nature of increased border funding and immigration enforcement to the fore,' said Andrew Kolvet, spokesman for conservative group Turning Point USA. He added: 'Everyone we're talking to in the Senate says this put it over the top.' Mr Trump labelled rioters 'insurrectionists', prompting speculation he could invoke the 1807 Insurrection Act, which would allow deployed troops to arrest protesters. Currently, their role is limited to supporting police rather than directly participating in law enforcement. When asked if he would invoke the Insurrection Act, Mr Trump said: 'If there's an insurrection, I would certainly invoke it. We'll see. But I can tell you, last night was terrible. The night before that was terrible.' Stephen Miller, the deputy White House chief of staff and the architect of Mr Trump's immigration policy, reportedly greenlit the raids on workplaces which sparked the Los Angeles riots. According to The Wall Street Journal, Mr Miller instructed ICE officers to shift the focus from foreign criminals and 'go out there and arrest illegal aliens', to fulfil the president's campaign pledge for mass deportations. He reportedly directed agents to target Home Depot and 7-Eleven convenience stores, asking for a show of hands and asking: 'Who here thinks they can do it?' Officers subsequently raided a Home Depot on Friday in the Westlake neighbourhood of Los Angeles, helping set off days' worth of protests. 'Keeping President Trump's promise to deport illegal aliens is something the administration takes seriously,' said Abigail Jackson, a White House spokeswoman. 'We are committed to aggressively and efficiently removing illegal aliens from the United States, including illegal aliens who commit additional crimes once arriving illegally in the United States. 'President Trump's 'one big, beautiful bill' will ensure law enforcement officers have the resources necessary to keep the President's promise. The safety of the American people depends upon this.' On Tuesday, a Pentagon official told a congressional committee that the deployment of the National Guard and US marines to Los Angeles, which has been guaranteed for 60 days, was expected to cost $134 million. Bryn Woollacott MacDonnell, special assistant to Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, said most of the funding would be taken up by housing, feeding and transporting troops. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
