ROME (AP) — Italian prosecutors have opened an additional investigation into two crew members from the superyacht Bayesian, which sank off the coast of Sicily last week, killing seven people, a lawyer for the crew said Friday.
The move expands the investigation into the tragic sinking, in which New Zealander Captain James Cutfield is already under investigation for suspected manslaughter and liability for the sinking of the ship.
Since Wednesday, Tim Parker Eaton, the engineer in charge of security in the yacht's engine room, and Matthew Griffiths, the seaman on watch on the night of the accident, have also been under investigation on similar charges, their lawyers said.
“The investigation is still in its infancy, so it's not yet clear who is to blame,” their lawyer, Mario Scopesi, told The Associated Press.
Mr Scopesi added that Parker-Eaton, Mr Griffiths, along with Mr Cutfield and the rest of the crew, left Italy on Wednesday.
The three crew members were among 15 survivors of the August 19 sinking that killed British technology tycoon Mike Lynch, his daughter Hannah and five others.
British tech tycoon Mike Lynch's body is among the bodies recovered from a yacht wreck in Sicily, authorities say.https://t.co/rzMdM56KMV
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) August 22, 2024
Chief prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio, who is leading the investigation, said his team would look at all possible sources of responsibility, including the captain, crew, supervisors and the yacht's manufacturer.
The 56-metre (184-foot) British-flagged luxury yacht “Basian” has sunk near the Mediterranean island of Sicily, with investigators focusing on how a vessel deemed “unsinkable” by its manufacturer, Italian shipyard Perini Navi, sank while a nearby vessel remained largely intact.
Prosecutors said the event was “extremely rapid” and may have been a “downburst” – a localized, powerful wind that falls from a thunderstorm and spreads quickly when it hits the ground.
All crew members except the chef survived, but six passengers were trapped inside the yacht's hull and died.
