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Daily Mirror
5 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
6 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
The Irish Sun
6 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
