Recent autopsies have unveiled the cause of death for four victims of the Bayesian yacht disaster off the coast of Sicily.
According to The Independent, the victims likely died from suffocation as oxygen ran out in air pockets within the sinking vessel.
The incident, which occurred on August 19, claimed the lives of seven individuals, including British tech magnate Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah. The yacht sank rapidly after encountering a violent storm, trapping several passengers below deck as it settled on its right side.
Initial autopsies conducted on four of the victims have shown an absence of water in their lungs, trachea, and stomach. This finding suggests that the victims died from what experts term "atypical drowning" or "dry drowning." The lack of water in their respiratory systems indicates that they likely suffocated as the available air became saturated with carbon dioxide.
These results align with investigators' theories that the victims sought out air pockets inside the yacht as it sank. However, these pockets would have been small and quickly filled with rising levels of toxic carbon dioxide, leading to rapid suffocation.
The autopsies were performed on Jonathan Bloomer, the international chairman of Morgan Stanley Bank; his wife Judith, a psychotherapist; Christopher Morvillo, a US lawyer; and his wife Neda, a jewelry designer. No external injuries were found on the bodies, further supporting the suffocation theory.
Prosecutors have launched an investigation into the yacht's captain, James Cutfield, and two British crew members, Tim Parker Eaton and Matthew Griffiths. They are being investigated for possible manslaughter and culpable shipwreck, although being investigated does not imply guilt or guarantee formal charges.
Survivor accounts have provided additional details about the chaotic moments during the sinking. According to reports, the yacht's co-owner, Fiona Barcares, managed to reach the deck but was unable to rescue her husband, Mike Lynch, and their daughter, Hannah, due to an electrical blackout and injuries sustained from broken glass.
Matthew Griffiths, who was on watch duty at the time, recounted the rapid sequence of events:
I woke up the captain when the wind was at 20 knots [23mph/37kph]. He gave orders to wake everyone else. The ship tilted and we were thrown into the water. Then we managed to get back up and tried to rescue those we could. We were walking on the walls [of the boat]. We saved who we could, Cutfield also saved the little girl and her mother.
The autopsies for Mike Lynch, his daughter Hannah, and the yacht's chef, Recaldo Thomas, are scheduled for Friday. Investigators are working to piece together the crucial events that unfolded in the 16-minute window between the yacht being hit by a suspected "downburst" storm at 3:50 am and its rapid sinking at 4:06 am.
Nine crew members and six passengers, including Mr. Lynch's wife, survived the incident by escaping on an inflatable life raft. The yacht now lies 50 meters below the surface, just 400 meters from its anchorage near the Sicilian port of Porticello.
Tim Parker Eaton, the yacht's engineer, has denied claims that external doors were left open during the storm, which reportedly allowed water to flood the engine room.
The Bayesian yacht disaster has shed light on the dangers of extreme weather at sea and the critical importance of safety measures on luxury vessels. As investigators continue to piece together the events of that fateful night, the findings may lead to improved safety protocols for yachts and other seafaring vessels. The tragedy serves as a somber reminder of nature's unpredictability and the need for constant vigilance, even on the most sophisticated of ships.
