Public court records or official announcements from Italian prosecutors

Captain and Crew of Mike Lynch's Sunken Yacht Face Manslaughter Probe Off Sicily

Aug 27, 2024, 02:21 PM

Italian prosecutors have launched an investigation into the captain and crew of the £30m Bayesian superyacht, which sank off the coast of Porticello, Sicily, resulting in the deaths of seven people, including British tech mogul Mike Lynch. The captain, James Cutfield, a New Zealand national, is facing possible charges of manslaughter and negligent shipwreck. Reports indicate that the yacht capsized during a storm, and there are suggestions that a freak waterspout may have contributed to the disaster. The investigation has expanded to include two additional British crew members, one of whom is the ship's engineer, Tim Parker Eaton. The yacht had 22 people onboard at the time of the incident. The captain has reportedly declined to answer questions from prosecutors, citing being too shaken by the incident.