A dramatic operation resembling a James Bond mission took place as the British intelligence agency MI6 stepped in to recover crucial secret files that were stored in safes aboard the sinking superyacht known as Bayesian. This occurred before Italian divers could manage to reach them.
Reports suggest that these documents were linked to Mike Lynch’s controversial cybersecurity company. It’s notable that in 2011, Lynch sold this venture to Hewlett Packard for a staggering $11 billion, which doesn’t seem to tie in with the ownership drama surrounding Autonomy.
Close sources from the Italian investigation stated that a British MI6 agent had already deleted sensitive equipment and data belonging to Lynch just before Italian authorities sent divers to the site this week.
The 56-meter sailing vessel remains submerged, scheduled for retrieval in May, as part of an ongoing criminal investigation.
Authorities worry that the sensitive information onboard could attract the attention of foreign governments, prompting demands for enhanced protective measures—including both surface and underwater surveillance—though it seems they may have arrived too late.
The yacht sank during a storm off the coast of Porticello, Italy. Tragically, Mike Lynch has been identified among those recovered from the wreckage, with his teenage daughter, Hannah, the last to be found.
This preemptive action was reportedly not sanctioned by Italian authorities and involved the extraction of computers, hard drives, and encrypted devices reminiscent of a scene straight out of a spy film.
Currently, the Bayesian yacht is situated 50 meters below the water’s surface near Porticello. Tiscali, an Italian news outlet founded by politician Renato Soru, broke this story.
A survivor of the wreck shared that Lynch, often compared to Steve Jobs, felt uneasy about cloud storage and kept his data accessible in the yacht’s secure compartment.
It is believed that the yacht housed a trove of sensitive documents related to foreign governments, stored within waterproof safes on the hull.
Lynch was a prominent figure in the tech community and had advisory roles with two British prime ministers regarding science and cybersecurity. His company, Darktrace, maintained connections with US-Israeli intelligence agencies.
Following the yacht’s demise on August 19, prosecutors called for increased security around sunken vessels to safeguard sensitive information. Meanwhile, MI6 agents appeared to have already begun their operations ahead of the Italian divers.
The haul reportedly included two heavily encrypted hard drives containing classified data, one of which was linked to the intelligence agency’s passcode.
During a celebration for his acquittal in a fraud trial, Lynch faced the tragedy of the Bayesian sinking. Reports indicate that an unusual weather event could have caused the yacht’s rapid descent.
Earlier in the month, marine rescue experts initiated a $30 million operation, funded by the yacht’s insurance companies, to recover the wreck.
The incident escalated with reports of a 39-year-old Dutch diver involved in the recovery operation who was declared deceased.
On the night of the sinking, the yacht was carrying ten crew members and twelve guests when it quickly capsized in a surprising storm.
Authorities cite a combination of human error and severe weather as factors contributing to the sinking of the $37 million luxury yacht.
Italian prosecutors have officially placed the Bayesian crew under investigation for various crimes, including negligence and recklessness, as well as failure to avert the disaster that night. However, no formal charges will be brought until the recovery of the vessel is complete and an investigation of the hull is conducted. Manslaughter charges may still be considered.
Among those who perished in the accident were Lynch, who was celebrating his legal victory, along with his daughter, a Manhattan lawyer, and notable figures associated with Morgan Stanley. Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, survived the wreck and now holds control over the company that operates British flame ships.
