"The public prosecutor's office is expanding its investigation into the mysterious sinking of the billionaire's yacht. What role did the anchor chain play - and how great are the environmental risks?
The determination of responsibility and the salvage of the wreck are now at the center of events after the sinking of the Bayesian. Five of the six surviving passengers left Sicily in a private jet, while the crew is still being questioned in Sicily.
The public prosecutor's office in the small Italian town of Termini Imerese is investigating the New Zealand captain James Cutfield on suspicion of negligent homicide. He has already been questioned several times, and a lawyer from Palermo and one from Genoa are supporting him legally. He has made use of his right not to make a statement, one of the lawyers said on Tuesday evening; the defense wants to obtain more data until it is able to argue for its client.
According to Italian media, the investigation could extend to other crew members. The Dutchman Tijs Koopman was on board as first officer, and the Briton Tim Parker Eaton was the technical officer. A boatswain from Burma, a deckhand from Spain, an Irish chief stewardess and another stewardess from Germany and South Africa were also on the ship until it sank. The only crew member to die was the cook Recaldo Thomas from Canada.
The shipwreck is to be raised
Meanwhile, the Italian authorities want to salvage the wreck of the Bayesian as quickly as possible. It poses an environmental risk because the tank on the seabed contains 18,000 liters of fuel and oil. The liquid could first be pumped up or brought to the surface together with the yacht.
Responsibility for the salvage issues lies with the yacht operator Camper & Nicholsons, the owner Angela Barcares, the widow of the deceased entrepreneur Mike Lynch, who survived the accident, and the Italian authorities.
Insurance issues also play a role: The Lynch family is said to have been insured with British Marine, which is part of the Australian Qbe Group. It specializes in liability insurance in the maritime sector.
Is there a leak?
A salvage operation would also help with the investigation. One of the many theories was put forward on the "Shipping Italy" website by former yacht captain and expert Roberto Nencioni: According to this, the anchor chain that was torn loose during the storm could have become caught in the rotating propeller shafts and caused a leak in the hull.
If the wreck were to lie on the seabed on the side of this leak, it would not be visible to the divers. A spokeswoman for the company TISG, which includes the Italian Bayesian ship designer Perini Navi, confirmed to the FAZ that this was a possibility.
It is still unclear why so much water entered the boat in such a short space of time. In an interview with the FAZ, TISG founder and CEO Giovanni Costantino suggested that the Bayesian's doors or hatches were open because the crew was not prepared for the storm. Another explanation would be a leak in the hull. A drifting anchor chain is a major danger in any case. The crew therefore has the option of cutting off such a chain from the boat in emergency situations; it does not have to be hauled in, which takes a long time, explains the company spokeswoman.
Another assumption is that water entered the dinghy room because of leaky doors or openings, which also flooded the nearby engine room. The public prosecutor's office is also interested in the question of why, according to the previous reconstruction of events, it took around half an hour from the sinking of the Bayesian to the launch of the first flare. The survivors first saved themselves in a dinghy from the Bayesian and were then picked up by the Dutch sailing ship Sir Baden Powell." [1]
1. Warum sank die Bayesian so rasch? Bergung soll Erkenntnisse bringen. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (online) Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung GmbH. Aug 27, 2024. Von Christian Schubert, Rom
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