After nearly a year of silence and waiting, the sailing yacht Bayesian, which sank on the night of August 19, 2024, off Porticello, a coastal town in Sicily, has been brought back to the surface. Thanks to the intervention of the Hebo Lift 10 and 2 cranes, the hull of the vessel was lifted from the seabed at a depth of 49 meters, revealing what had remained hidden for months in the unfathomable depths of the sea.
The delicate operation, which began in recent days with the installation of new lifting slings, allowed the ship to be positioned vertically, granting access to previously inaccessible areas, such as the starboard side that lay on the seabed. The hull, supported by eight sturdy steel straps, is now held in an elevated position awaiting the draining of water.
An extensive security and monitoring system is in place at the recovery site. The Coast Guard, which is coordinating the investigations, has deployed several patrol boats to monitor the area and prevent any risk of fuel leakage or pollution. Also involved are technicians from ARPA and drones equipped with infrared sensors capable of detecting any traces of harmful substances.
At the time it sank, the vessel was engaged in coastal navigation. There were 22 people on board: fifteen managed to survive, although sustaining various injuries, while seven lost their lives. Among the deceased were several prominent figures, including Mike Lynch, a British entrepreneur and owner of the vessel; his eighteen-year-old daughter Hannah; Jonathan Bloomer, a British banker; his wife Judith; as well as American lawyer Chris J. Morvillo, his wife Neda Nassiri, and the ship’s cook, Recaldo Thomas.
Italian authorities have launched an investigation to reconstruct the causes of the shipwreck, also scrutinizing the vessel’s captain, James Cutfield. The main hypotheses currently consider either a technical malfunction of the sailing ship or particularly adverse weather conditions that may have caused the violent waterspout responsible for the sinking.
The recovery of the Bayesian therefore represents a crucial step in shedding light on the causes of the incident. The company Tmc Marine, in charge of the operations, stated that the next phases include transferring the wreck to the port of Termini Imerese, where it will be housed in a specially prepared steel structure to allow further assessments.
