Sinking of a sailboat in Sicily: what we know about the last 5 minutes before the tragedy

On August 19, 2024, the Bayesian sank in Sicily in a sudden storm. Twelve passengers and ten crew members were on board the 56-meter-long yacht flying the British flag. Seven of them died in the sinking. An investigation has been opened to determine the circumstances of the tragedy.

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Shipwreck of a sailboat in Sicily: sixth and last body found, captain implicated… Update on the investigation

The latest statements by the head of the Palermo fire department, who spoke at a press conference on Saturday, have provided a new hypothesis regarding the scenario of the shipwreck, according to the Independent.

“The victims tried to find air pockets”

According to the firefighter, the boat “sank from the back first before rolling onto the right side”. The victims then “tried to move to the left side”, “on the high side of the boat, the one facing the surface”, “to take advantage of the existing air pockets”. This hypothesis would explain the fact that the first five bodies were found “in the first cabin on the left, and the last – that of Hannah Lynch – in the 3rd cabin on the left”.

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Sailboat sinks in Sicily: Bodies of five people found in wreck

“A long series of errors”

Challenged over the cause of the sinking, the head of the Italian Sea Group, owner of the Perini Navi shipyard that built the Bayesian, pointed the finger at human error. “Everything that happened reveals a long series of errors. The passengers should not have been in the cabins, the ship should not have been at anchor” in these weather conditions, he said.

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Shipwreck of a sailboat in Sicily: Mike Lynch identified among the victims, the bodies of the 7 missing found

Since the sinking, the body of wealthy British businessman Mike Lynch has been found by search teams. Survivors of the tragedy have shared their traumatic stories with the press.