Latest news with #Bayesian
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Never-before-seen Bayesian yacht wreck sheds light on real cause of tragedy
The first images of the British superyacht Bayesian have emerged showing the wreck in remarkable detail, just nine months after the vessel sank, killing seven people For the first time since it sank last August, the British superyacht Bayesian has been captured in remarkable detail - 150 feet below the surface of the Mediterranean. Renowned photographer Massimo Sestini's images show the gold lettering of the yacht's name still proudly displayed on the submerged stern. Despite just nine months underwater, nature has begun reclaiming the wreck. Seaweed is already colonising the once-pristine deck, while fish explore their new habitat. The photographs come as investigations continue into how the 'unsinkable' £30 million yacht went down so suddenly, tragically claiming seven lives - including British billionaire Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah. Fifteen people, including Mr Lynch's wife, Angela Bacares, were rescued. Sestini's photos appear to challenge one early theory: the yacht's stern hatch remains firmly closed, contradicting claims by shipbuilders that it was left open during the storm, allowing water to flood in. The wreck lies largely intact on the seabed off the coast of Sicily as a £20 million salvage operation works to raise it. The Bayesian - known for its signature 236-foot mast, one of the tallest in the world —sank in just 16 minutes during a fierce storm with 100 mph winds while anchored near the fishing village of Porticello. A recent interim report from British investigators highlighted 'vulnerabilities' in the yacht's stability, noting that crew members were unable to prevent the 184-foot luxury sailing vessel from violently tilting. Crucially, the captain and crew were reportedly unaware of these risks, as the necessary safety information was not included in the onboard safety booklet, according to the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB). Tragedy struck again earlier this month when a Dutch diver working on the salvage operation died, marking the eighth fatality linked to the Bayesian. In response, all manned diving was temporarily suspended, and underwater exploration shifted to robotic systems. Mr. Sestini described the conditions at the wreck site as treacherous. The great depth, limited sunlight, and swirling sediment reduced visibility to as little as one metre. 'When I connected my camera to the computer and saw the images of the wreck on the screen, my heart sank,' the photographer said, recalling his own near-drowning while diving beneath a frozen Italian lake earlier this year. Speaking to the Italian magazine Oggi, Sestini called the sinking 'a great mystery'. 'The wreck seems intact,' he said, noting that while initial reports blamed an open stern hatch for flooding, his photos show the door remains closed. Shortly after the disaster on August 19, the CEO of Italian Sea Group - who acquired Bayesian's builder Perini Navi two years prior - suggested human error was to blame, insisting the stern hatch had been 'clearly' open. The company has yet to comment on the MAIB's ongoing investigation. The yacht was legally owned by Mr. Lynch's wife, Ms. Bacares, who survived the tragedy. 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. 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. 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.
The Sun
3 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Watery grave of Bayesian superyacht revealed in eerie last photos as what sank vessel sparks multi-million war of words
DEEP below the deceptively crystal clear waters of Sicily's Tyrrhenian Sea, the wreck of super-yacht Bayesian is yet to give up all its secrets. These exclusive photographs are the last to be taken before dives to the London-registered vessel — which sank in a storm last year — were banned after the death of a salvage team diver. 8 8 8 That tragic loss in an explosion three weeks ago brought the number of victims to eight, with six passengers and one crew member losing their lives when the £30million yacht sank on August 19 last year. They included multi-millionaire British tech businessman Mike Lynch, 59, and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah. Veteran photographer Massimo Sestini, who dived 163 feet down to take these eerie images of the barnacle-covered wreck, knows all too well how treacherous any underwater journey can be. In January, he was left in a coma after a dive in an ice-cold Italian lake went terribly wrong. Fortunate to survive that very close call, the 62-year-old daredevil photographer still went down to the Bayesian in April. Massimo, who has also photographed the wreck of Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia, which struck a rock and partially sank in 2012, told The Sun: 'It is dangerous down there. 'It is very dark, there is a current that brings up the sand so that visibility is down to one metre at times. 'But I was not scared.' The mystery of what brought the 'unsinkable' Bayesian to its watery grave is at the centre of a multi-million-pound war of words. This month a preliminary report by Britain's Marine Accident Investigation Branch — involved because the Bayesian was a UK- registered vessel — said the yacht, with its 236ft aluminium mast, was 'vulnerable to high winds'. Investigators think the boat was knocked over by 100mph winds in a 'mesocyclonic storm front' just before 4am while anchored half a mile off the Sicilian fishing port of Porticello. Chilling photo of Bayesian minutes before superyacht sank reveals key clue to solving mystery of disaster that killed 7 But this theory runs counter to the one put forward by the firm which built the 184ft-long yacht. Giovanni Costantino, boss of boat-building firm TISG, or The Italian Sea Group, insisted the ship's design was safe. Legal action He believes that one of the hatches was most likely left open, letting in the water which sank the Bayesian. He said: 'It tilted 90 degrees for only one reason — because the water kept coming in.' It is very dark, there is a current that brings up the sand so that visibility is down to one metre at times. But I was not scared. Massimo Sestini There were rumours that divers to the wreck had seen windows and hatches open, but photographer Massimo said that from what he saw 'it seems like the hatch wasn't open'. TISG, which owns the Perini Navi shipyard in Viareggio, Tuscany, where the Bayesian was built in 2008, has taken legal action against the New York Times for reporting in October that the single tall mast design made the vessel ' vulnerable to capsizing '. 8 8 8 The Italian authorities are looking into a suspicion that the crew did not react quickly enough to the storm. Two weeks ago the yacht's skipper, New Zealander James Cutfield, used his right to silence when magistrates tried to question him. British engineer Tim Parker-Eaton and deckhand Matthew Griffiths have also been placed under investigation. Eyewitnesses claimed the Bayesian went under in 'seconds', but it has also been reported that the yacht took 16 minutes to sink. Relatives of the victims, who include chef Recaldo Thomas, 59, guests Chris and Neda Morvillo, 59 and 57, and Jonathan and Judy Bloomer, 70 and 71, may sue if negligence can be proven. But the best chance of discovering what really happened is by returning the ill-fated boat to the surface. The risks posed by the perilous operation were made clear on May 9, when Dutch diver Robcornelis Maria Huijben Uiben, 39, was killed in an explosion as he tried to cut the yacht's boom — a pole along the bottom of a sail — with an oxy-acetylene torch. as much as possible. When I saw the cold images of super-professional divers of the wreck on the screen, my heart sank. Massimo Sestini The boom was the first part of the Bayesian to be recovered last week, and the rest is set to be salvaged any day now. That means Massimo, from Florence, was the last person to have the chance to photograph the wreck. But he insisted the dive did not remind him of his brush with death in Lake Lavarone, in northern Italy, at the end of January. He had stopped breathing under the icy water when there was a malfunction with his air supply. But fortunately a diving instructor was on hand to rescue him. Massimo, who has snapped the then Prince Charles and Princess Diana during a 40-year career, was taken to hospital in a 'critical condition'. The photographer said: 'I feel so privileged because I have a new life. 'For this, a special thank you goes to those who saved me.' His previous exploits include leaning out of helicopters and perching on the end of a ship's rigging to get the best images possible. But watching a coastguard diver inspect the wreck of the Bayesian did remind Massimo of the people who drowned inside the yacht nine months ago. He said: 'When I saw the cold images of super-professional divers of the wreck on the screen, my heart sank. 'I thought of the seven people who died in the shipwreck.' 8 8
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Bayesian's watery grave: Wreck where billionaire Mike Lynch, his daughter and five others died is pictured... and the hatch that was initially blamed for disaster
Clearly visible through the murky depths 150ft below the surface, this is the first time British superyacht Bayesian has been seen since it sank beneath the waves last August. Captured in astonishing detail by a renowned photographer, it shows the gold letters of the doomed vessel's name still proudly displayed on the submerged stern. After just nine months at the bottom of the Mediterranean, the images also show how the wreck is already being reclaimed by nature, with seaweed colonising its once-pristine deck as fish explore the new habitat. As investigations continue into how the 'unsinkable' £30million yacht could sink so suddenly - with the loss of seven lives, including those of British billionaire Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah - the images appear to rule out one theory. According to photographer Massimo Sestini, who captured these exclusive images, the Bayesian's stern hatch remains firmly closed. That is despite the initial claim by shipbuilders that it had been left open on the night of the tragedy, allowing water to surge in when a freak storm struck. His photos also show how the wreck lies largely intact on the sea bed off the coast of Sicily as a £20million salvage operation continues to raise it to the surface. The Bayesian - famous for its trademark 236ft mast, one of the world's tallest - took just 16 minutes to sink in the early hours of the morning. Although the Bayesian's tragic sinking with the loss of seven lives happened just nine months ago, Massimo Sestini's images show how the wreck is already being colonised by seaweed and fish It had been hit by a fierce storm with 100mph winds while at anchor off the fishing village of Porticello. Earlier this month an interim report by British investigators highlighted 'vulnerabilities' in the yacht's stability which meant its crew were unable to prevent the 184ft luxury sailing boat from tilting violently on its side. The captain and crew would have been unaware as the information was not laid out in a safety booklet onboard, the Marine Accident Investigation Branch said. Earlier this month the vessel – which locals say is cursed – claimed the life of an eighth person, a Dutch diver who was working on the £20million salvage operation. In response, all manned diving operations were temporarily suspended, with exploration instead carried out by undersea robots. Diving the wreck before the latest tragedy, Mr Sestini said conditions on the seabed were treacherous. A lack of sunlight at that depth combined with sediment swirling in the current combined to reduce visibility to as little as one metre. 'When I connected my camera to the computer and saw the images of the wreck on the screen, my heart sank,' said the photographer, who himself almost drowned while diving beneath a frozen Italian lake earlier this year. Divers can only spend ten minutes at a time on the wreck - with the dangers of the unforgiving conditions and poor visibility 150ft below the surface underlined by the tragic loss of a Dutch diver on May 9 during recovery efforts Sicilian fishermen say the benign waters of the Mediterranean on a calm day belie the fearsome winds which can be whipped up by sudden storms His photographs of the Bayesian's wreck shows its sinking was 'truly a great mystery', he told Italian publication Oggi. 'The wreck seems intact,' he added. Mr Sestini said while it was 'said at the beginning' that an open stern hatch caused 'huge amounts' of water to inundate the yacht when the storm struck, 'my photos show that the door is closed'. Within days of the disaster on August 19 last year, the CEO of Italian Sea Group - which bought the Bayesian's constructors Perini Navi two years ago - blamed 'human error'. The stern hatch was 'clearly' open, Giovanni Costantino told Italian media. The firm has yet to comment on the MAIB report. Bayesian was legally owned by Mr Lynch's wife Angela Bacares, who survived the disaster. The other victims were banking executive Jonathan Bloomer, his wife Judy Bloomer, lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda Morvillo and the yacht's chef, Recaldo Thomas. The tragedy last August killed seven people including British billionaire and tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his daughter Hannah The moment the doomed Bayesian sank in the early hours of August 19 last year was captured by security cameras of a nearby villa on the coast Three crew members are currently facing possible charges of manslaughter and causing a disaster under an Italian criminal investigation. However Under Italian law the fact the men - captain James Cutfield, chief engineer Timothy Parker Eaton and deckhand Matthew Griffiths - have been placed under investigation does not imply guilt and does not necessarily mean that charges will be brought against them. Minute by minute, how the Bayesian tragedy unfolded August 18 - PM: The Bayesian was anchored at Cefalù on the northern coast of Sicily to shelter from the forecast weather and to allow for easy disembarkation of guests the following day. August 19 - 00.30am: Having checked the weather the captain and the last guest had retired, leaving deckhand (DH1) and the evening steward (S1) on duty. 01.00am: The second deckhand (DH2) took over the watch. The wind at this time was noted as being no more than 8kts (9.2pmh). 03.00am: DH2 noted the wind as being at 8kts (9.2pmh) from the west but thought that the thunderclouds and lightning seemed to be getting closer. 03.55am: The deckhand 'videoed the advancing storm and posted it to their social media feed' before closing the hatches and cockpit windows. 03.57am: The winds had picked up to 30kts (35mph) and the Bayesian was listing and dragging its anchor. 04.00am: The deckhand ran to wake up the skipper and the crew leapt into action and began preparing to manoeuvre the Bayesian by starting the generators and steering pumps. The rest of the crew, woken by either the captain or the yacht's change of motion, got up and made their way out of the crew accommodation. Chef Recaldo Thomas was spotted in the galley stowing cutlery, pots and pan and called out 'Good morning!' to nearby stewards. The Bayesian was lying with the wind about 60 degree off the port bow and moving at 1.8kts south-south-east of its original position. Two guests – a British couple – had been woken by the movements and decided to head to the saloon with their baby. 4.06am: Disaster struck as the wind suddenly increased to more than 70kts (80.5mph) ripping the awning away. The Bayesian 'violently heeled over' in less than 15 seconds to a 90-degree angle. The sudden movement sent people as well as furniture flying across the deck leaving five people including the captain injured while a deckhand was thrown into the sea. Two guests trapped in their cabin were forced to used furniture drawers as an improvised ladder to escape into the saloon area. The yacht's crew were able to push four guests through the cascading water up to the skipper on the flying bridge. The captain called for the guests and crew to swim clear of the mast and boom as the vessel sank. 04.22am: The crew had launched the Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRB). They noted that the wind had eased and that Bayesian was only a short distance from shore. In the water, a deckhand(DH2) improvised a tourniquet for one of the guest's gashed arm while a cushion was used as a flotation device foe the baby. Some of the survivors were treading water and others held on to some cushions that had floated free from Bayesian. One of the guests frantically searched for other survivors in vain using the torch from their phone - while the captain and chief officer frantically freed the life raft from the sinking wreck. 04.24am: The captain and chief officer frantically freed the life raft from the sinking wreck. It was was inflated and the survivors were able to get inside it where the crew began administering first aid. The skipper tried to raise the alarm by shouting at and then paddling towards the nearby vessel the Sir Robert Baden Powell. 04.34am: The Chief Engineer fired a red parachute flare from the life raft. Despite the winds being calm at the surface, the flare was carried sideways. He then used the life raft's torch to signal towards a hotel on the cliffs above them, passing cars, and Sir Robert Baden Powell. 04.43am: The Chief engineer fired a second parachute flare that was seen by the crew of Sir Robert Baden Powell. Responding to the flare, the skipper dispatched its tender towards the visible lights of the EPIRB and life raft. 04.53am: The tender carrying the 15 survivors returned to Sir Robert Baden Powell and a brief search was look for the missing seven people who were also on board. 04.56am: The tender from Sir Robert Baden Powell returned to the scene with Bayesian's Chief Engineer and skipper on board to search for other survivors. The local coastguard was called to arrange to transfer the survivors to shore.
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Watery grave of Bayesian superyacht revealed in eerie last photos as what sank vessel sparks multi-million war of words
Why did a £30m 'unsinkable' superyacht vanish beneath the waves — and what deadly secrets are hidden in its wreck? SUNKEN SECRETS Watery grave of Bayesian superyacht revealed in eerie last photos as what sank vessel sparks multi-million war of words DEEP below the deceptively crystal clear waters of Sicily's Tyrrhenian Sea, the wreck of super-yacht Bayesian is yet to give up all its secrets. These exclusive photographs are the last to be taken before dives to the London-registered vessel — which sank in a storm last year — were banned after the death of a salvage team diver. Advertisement 8 Divers from the Italian coastguard inspect the wreck of the London-registered Bayesian superyacht 163 feet below the surface Credit: ugpix 8 Strong currents swirling around the wreck reduce visibility to just a metre for the divers Credit: ugpix 8 A UK probe has revealed the £30m Bayesian superyacht may have sunk due to its towering 236ft mast making it 'vulnerable to high winds' Credit: EPA That tragic loss in an explosion three weeks ago brought the number of victims to eight, with six passengers and one crew member losing their lives when the £30million yacht sank on August 19 last year. They included multi-millionaire British tech businessman Mike Lynch, 59, and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah. Veteran photographer Massimo Sestini, who dived 163 feet down to take these eerie images of the barnacle-covered wreck, knows all too well how treacherous any underwater journey can be. In January, he was left in a coma after a dive in an ice-cold Italian lake went terribly wrong. Advertisement Fortunate to survive that very close call, the 62-year-old daredevil photographer still went down to the Bayesian in April. Massimo, who has also photographed the wreck of Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia, which struck a rock and partially sank in 2012, told The Sun: 'It is dangerous down there. 'It is very dark, there is a current that brings up the sand so that visibility is down to one metre at times. 'But I was not scared.' The mystery of what brought the 'unsinkable' Bayesian to its watery grave is at the centre of a multi-million-pound war of words. Advertisement This month a preliminary report by Britain's Marine Accident Investigation Branch — involved because the Bayesian was a UK- registered vessel — said the yacht, with its 236ft aluminium mast, was 'vulnerable to high winds'. Investigators think the boat was knocked over by 100mph winds in a 'mesocyclonic storm front' just before 4am while anchored half a mile off the Sicilian fishing port of Porticello. Chilling photo of Bayesian minutes before superyacht sank reveals key clue to solving mystery of disaster that killed 7 But this theory runs counter to the one put forward by the firm which built the 184ft-long yacht. Giovanni Costantino, boss of boat-building firm TISG, or The Italian Sea Group, insisted the ship's design was safe. Advertisement Legal action He believes that one of the hatches was most likely left open, letting in the water which sank the Bayesian. He said: 'It tilted 90 degrees for only one reason — because the water kept coming in.' It is very dark, there is a current that brings up the sand so that visibility is down to one metre at times. But I was not scared. Massimo Sestini There were rumours that divers to the wreck had seen windows and hatches open, but photographer Massimo said that from what he saw 'it seems like the hatch wasn't open'. TISG, which owns the Perini Navi shipyard in Viareggio, Tuscany, where the Bayesian was built in 2008, has taken legal action against the New York Times for reporting in October that the single tall mast design made the vessel 'vulnerable to capsizing'. Advertisement 8 Nine months after the tragedy, the divers found the yacht's hull encrusted with marine life Credit: ugpix 8 These photographs are the last taken before dives to the London-registered vessel — which sank in a storm last year — were banned after the death of a salvage team diver Credit: ugpix 8 Vereran photographer Massimo Sestini took the snaps of the doomed vessel Credit: Instagram/massimo_sestini The Italian authorities are looking into a suspicion that the crew did not react quickly enough to the storm. Advertisement Two weeks ago the yacht's skipper, New Zealander James Cutfield, used his right to silence when magistrates tried to question him. British engineer Tim Parker-Eaton and deckhand Matthew Griffiths have also been placed under investigation. Eyewitnesses claimed the Bayesian went under in 'seconds', but it has also been reported that the yacht took 16 minutes to sink. Relatives of the victims, who include chef Recaldo Thomas, 59, guests Chris and Neda Morvillo, 59 and 57, and Jonathan and Judy Bloomer, 70 and 71, may sue if negligence can be proven. Advertisement But the best chance of discovering what really happened is by returning the ill-fated boat to the surface. The risks posed by the perilous operation were made clear on May 9, when Dutch diver Robcornelis Maria Huijben Uiben, 39, was killed in an explosion as he tried to cut the yacht's boom — a pole along the bottom of a sail — with an oxy-acetylene torch. Since then the salvage has been conducted by submersible robots as much as possible. When I saw the cold images of super-professional divers of the wreck on the screen, my heart sank. Massimo Sestini The boom was the first part of the Bayesian to be recovered last week, and the rest is set to be salvaged any day now. Advertisement That means Massimo, from Florence, was the last person to have the chance to photograph the wreck. But he insisted the dive did not remind him of his brush with death in Lake Lavarone, in northern Italy, at the end of January. He had stopped breathing under the icy water when there was a malfunction with his air supply. But fortunately a diving instructor was on hand to rescue him. Massimo, who has snapped the then Prince Charles and Princess Diana during a 40-year career, was taken to hospital in a 'critical condition'. Advertisement The photographer said: 'I feel so privileged because I have a new life. 'For this, a special thank you goes to those who saved me.' His previous exploits include leaning out of helicopters and perching on the end of a ship's rigging to get the best images possible. But watching a coastguard diver inspect the wreck of the Bayesian did remind Massimo of the people who drowned inside the yacht nine months ago. Advertisement He said: 'When I saw the cold images of super-professional divers of the wreck on the screen, my heart sank. 'I thought of the seven people who died in the shipwreck.' 8 Brit Mike Lynch and his teenage daughter Hannah perished when the Bayesian went down Credit: PA 8 Rescue workers in Porticello, Italy, after the tragedy Credit: EPA
The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Watery grave of Bayesian superyacht revealed in eerie last photos as what sank vessel sparks multi-million war of words
DEEP below the deceptively crystal clear waters of Sicily's Tyrrhenian Sea, the wreck of super-yacht Bayesian is yet to give up all its secrets. These exclusive photographs are the last to be taken before dives to the London-registered vessel — which sank in a storm last year — were banned after the death of a salvage team diver. Advertisement 8 Divers from the Italian coastguard inspect the wreck of the London-registered Bayesian superyacht 163 feet below the surface Credit: ugpix 8 Strong currents swirling around the wreck reduce visibility to just a metre for the divers Credit: ugpix 8 A UK probe has revealed the £30m Bayesian superyacht may have sunk due to its towering 236ft mast making it 'vulnerable to high winds' Credit: EPA That tragic loss in an explosion three weeks ago brought the number of victims to eight, with six passengers and one crew member losing their lives when the £30million yacht sank on August 19 last year. They included multi-millionaire British tech businessman Mike Lynch, 59, and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah. Veteran photographer Massimo Sestini, who dived 163 feet down to take these eerie images of the barnacle-covered wreck, knows all too well how treacherous any underwater journey can be. In January, he was left in a coma after a dive in an ice-cold Italian lake went terribly wrong. Advertisement READ MORE ON THE BAYESIAN Fortunate to survive that very close call, the 62-year-old daredevil photographer still went down to the Bayesian in April. Massimo, who has also photographed the wreck of Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia, which struck a rock and partially sank in 2012, told The Sun: 'It is dangerous down there. 'It is very dark, there is a current that brings up the sand so that visibility is down to one metre at times. 'But I was not scared.' The mystery of what brought the 'unsinkable' Bayesian to its watery grave is at the centre of a multi-million-pound war of words. Advertisement Most read in The Sun This month a preliminary report by Britain's Marine Accident Investigation Branch — involved because the Bayesian was a UK- registered vessel — said the yacht, with its Investigators think the boat was knocked over by 100mph winds in a 'mesocyclonic storm front' just before 4am while anchored half a mile off the Sicilian fishing port of Porticello. Chilling photo of Bayesian minutes before superyacht sank reveals key clue to solving mystery of disaster that killed 7 But this theory runs counter to the one put forward by the firm which built the 184ft-long yacht. Giovanni Costantino, boss of boat-building firm TISG, or The Italian Sea Group, insisted the ship's design was safe. Advertisement Legal action He believes that one of the hatches was most likely left open, He said: 'It tilted 90 degrees for only one reason — because the water kept coming in.' It is very dark, there is a current that brings up the sand so that visibility is down to one metre at times. But I was not scared. Massimo Sestini There were rumours that divers to the wreck TISG, which owns the Perini Navi shipyard in Viareggio, Tuscany, where the Bayesian was built in 2008, has taken legal action against the New York Times for reporting in October that the single tall mast design made the vessel ' Advertisement 8 Nine months after the tragedy, the divers found the yacht's hull encrusted with marine life Credit: ugpix 8 These photographs are the last taken before dives to the London-registered vessel — which sank in a storm last year — were banned after the death of a salvage team diver Credit: ugpix 8 Vereran photographer Massimo Sestini took the snaps of the doomed vessel Credit: Instagram/massimo_sestini The Italian authorities are looking into a suspicion that the crew did not react quickly enough to the storm. Advertisement Two weeks ago the yacht's skipper, New Zealander James Cutfield, used his right to silence when magistrates tried to question him. British engineer Tim Parker-Eaton and deckhand Matthew Griffiths have also been placed under investigation. Relatives of the victims, who include chef Recaldo Thomas, 59, guests Chris and Neda Morvillo, 59 and 57, and Jonathan and Judy Bloomer, 70 and 71, may sue if negligence can be proven. Advertisement But the best chance of discovering what really happened is by returning the ill-fated boat to the surface. The risks posed by the perilous operation were made clear on May 9, when Dutch diver Robcornelis Maria Huijben Uiben, 39, was killed in an explosion as he tried to cut the yacht's boom — a pole along the bottom of a sail — with an oxy-acetylene torch. When I saw the cold images of super-professional divers of the wreck on the screen, my heart sank. Massimo Sestini The boom was the first part of the Bayesian to be recovered last week, and Advertisement That means Massimo, from Florence, was the last person to have the chance to photograph the wreck. But he insisted the dive did not remind him of his brush with death in Lake Lavarone, in northern Italy , at the end of January. He had stopped breathing under the icy water when there was a malfunction with his air supply. But fortunately a diving instructor was on hand to rescue him. Massimo, who has snapped the then Prince Charles and Princess Diana during a 40-year career, was taken to hospital in a 'critical condition'. Advertisement The photographer said: 'I feel so privileged because I have a new life. 'For this, a special thank you goes to those who saved me.' His previous exploits include leaning out of helicopters and perching on the end of a ship's rigging to get the best images possible. But watching a coastguard diver inspect the wreck of the Bayesian did remind Massimo of the people who drowned inside the yacht nine months ago. Advertisement He said: 'When I saw the cold images of super-professional divers of the wreck on the screen, my heart sank. 'I thought of the seven people who died in the shipwreck.' 8 Brit Mike Lynch and his teenage daughter Hannah perished when the Bayesian went down Credit: PA 8 Rescue workers in Porticello, Italy, after the tragedy Credit: EPA Advertisement
