Ten months after it sank, Mike Lynch’s superyacht was lifted from the seafloor on Saturday, June 21. The “Bayesian” yacht went down off the coast of Sicily, killing Lynch, his daughter and five others in 2024. Fifteen people, including a one-year-old child, were rescued from the scene.
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The ship sank after a waterspout hit it. The superyacht went down in just 60 seconds and sank 164 feet below the surface, despite being designed to withstand severe weather conditions.
The local coast guard said the lifting operation is expected to conclude on Saturday afternoon. It will be followed by some technical tests on the hull. On Sunday June 22, the vessel will be transported to the Sicilian port of Termini Imerese, CBS News reported, where it will be made available for investigators to help them determine the cause of the sinking.
As part of the recovery effort, the superyacht’s 236-foot mast was cut off and left on the seabed for future removal. The mast had to be detached to allow the hull to be brought to a nearly upright position that would allow the craft to be raised.
Investigation continues
An ongoing investigation found that Lynch and the crew were unaware of some of the boat’s vulnerabilities, the BBC reported, including that wind speeds of over 73 mph could topple it.
The boat is being salvaged not only to further the investigations, but also to prevent any environmental damage, the New York Times wrote. That part of the Sicilian coast is a protected marine area, so the Bayesian’s wreckage had to be removed.
The Times added that the salvage operation is expected to cost tens of millions of dollars. The investigation is expected to take several more months.
The Bayesian had been anchored off the port of Porticello when it sank in the early hours of Aug. 19, 2024.