Casualties and questions for luxury yacht

Why the Perini Navi built 184-foot luxury yacht capsized at anchor, with just 15 of 22 people on board surviving, has attracted international news attention. That the yacht was owned by British tech tycoon Mike Lynch, who is among the confirmed deaths, has added to the intrigue.

The incident occurred early on August 19 off the coast of Porticello, Sicily, with CNN reporting how the yacht named Bayesian rapidly sank after its mast, one of the world’s tallest, broke in half during a violent storm. As divers search the area, a fifth body was brought to shore on August 22.

Giovanni Costantino, CEO of The Italian Sea Group, which makes and sells vessels like Bayesian, has questioned why its crew were not in a “state of alert” when the well-forecasted storm hit, suggesting human error was behind the boat going down.

Local fishermen who witnessed the Bayesian superyacht sink say that the vessel was in the wrong place at the wrong time, while other sources have said how the yacht’s keel was not fully lowered. The yacht now rests at a depth of 150 feet.

For details by BBC News on what might have caused the yacht to sink, click here.