Recovery of Luxury Superyacht in Sicily
A British-flagged luxury superyacht, the Bayesian, was successfully lifted from the waters off the coast of Sicily on Saturday. The operation came after a tragic sinking last year that resulted in the deaths of U.K. tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch and six others.
The retrieval took place in Porticello, where the vessel, measuring 56 meters (184 feet) in length, was seen emerging from the water covered in algae and mud. TMC Maritime, the company leading the recovery effort, announced the hull’s safe extraction from the sea after a delicate process.
The company stated that the yacht is now held in an elevated position to facilitate further checks and preparations before being transported to the nearby port of Termini Imerese for a thorough investigation.
The Bayesian sank on August 19 during a severe storm. At the time, Lynch was on a cruise with friends celebrating his recent acquittal in a U.S. court on fraud charges. Tragically, Lynch, his daughter, and five others lost their lives, while 15 people, including the captain and most crew members, managed to survive.
Currently, Italian authorities are conducting a full criminal investigation into the incident. Over the past few days, crews have been carefully lifting the vessel from its underwater resting place, located about 50 meters (165 feet) deep. As the yacht was hoisted, seawater was pumped out to ensure it could be safely raised.
Interestingly, the ship is missing its 72-meter (236-foot) mast, which had to be cut off prior to the lifting. This was necessary to position the hull correctly for recovery. Preliminary reports from British investigators suggest that "extreme winds" played a significant role in the sinking, with winds exceeding 70 knots (81 mph) causing the yacht to tip over rapidly.
Lynch had built a successful career, selling his software company, Autonomy, to Hewlett-Packard for a substantial sum in 2011. His recent legal troubles were behind him at the time of the unfortunate event, as he had just been cleared of fraud charges in June 2024.
