Sunken British superyacht lifted from seafloor
The United Kingdom’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch said, “The interim report presents a desktop study of the facts as we know them. The study has reviewed the yacht’s stability, the likely local weather conditions at the time, and the effect of that weather on the yacht. The findings indicate that the extreme wind experienced by Bayesian was sufficient to knock the yacht over. Further, once the yacht had heeled beyond an angle of 70° the situation was irrecoverable."
Video shows Bayesian yacht sinking in ferocious storm off Italian coast
Video footage obtained by Giornale Di Sicilia shows a view from Porticello, Sicily facing the sea as the storm unfolds and the moment the Bayesian superyacht went under the waves.
SICILY, Italy - Salvage crews have successfully raised a superyacht off the coast of Italy nearly ten months after it sank during severe weather.
The 184-foot Bayesian was violently tossed about in a powerful storm that Italian authorities said killed seven people, including British tech tycoon Mike Lynch, during the overnight hours of August 19, 2024.
Fifteen people survived the accident, but the vessel sank to the bottom of the Gulf of Porticciolo, where it remained until a marine company developed a recovery plan and positioned the necessary equipment.
Photos released Saturday showed the remains of the yacht being lifted above the waterline, with members of the Italian Coast Guard enforcing a perimeter to keep nearby vessels out of the recovery zone.
Booms were deployed around the site to contain potential pollution from debris and thousands of gallons of oil that are still believed to be onboard.
ITALY, SICILY - JUNE 21: The wreckage of the luxury yacht "Bayesian," which sank during a storm in August last year off the coast of Porticello, Sicily, killing seven people including British businessman Mike Lynch, is lifted from the seabed with the help of two floating cranes in Sicily, Italy, on June 21, 2025. The 75-meter aluminum mast was cut off before the operation. Journalists aboard the Italian Coast Guard vessel "Diciotti" approached the wreck to capture close-up footage.
(Photo by Alberto Lo Bianco/Anadolu via Getty Images / Getty Images)
VIDEO SHOWS MOMENT BAYESIAN SUPERYACHT SINKS DURING FEROCIOUS STORM OFF SICILIAN COAST
Earlier in the year, recovery operations were delayed after a Dutch diver died while working on the wreck, officials said.
Recovery teams said they removed the yacht’s more than 200-foot mast before hoisting the wreckage with a large crane and transporting it to a nearby port.
It is unclear what the future holds for the vessel, but investigators are expected to examine it as part of their ongoing maritime disaster probe.
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Image 1 of 2Tech tycoon Mike Lynch's superyacht the Bayesian is lifted to the surface near the fishing town of Porticello, Sicily. Seven people died when the Bayesian sank off the coast of the Italian island on August 19, including billionaire Mr Lynch, 59, his daughter Hannah, 18, as well as Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer, 70, and his wife, Judy Bloomer, 71. Picture date: Saturday June 21, 2025. (Photo by Peter Byrne/PA Images via Getty Images)
![Bayesian yacht accident]()
Image 2 of 2Tech tycoon Mike Lynch's superyacht the Bayesian is lifted to the surface near the fishing town of Porticello, Sicily. Seven people died when the Bayesian sank off the coast of the Italian island on August 19, including billionaire Mr Lynch, 59, his daughter Hannah, 18, as well as Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer, 70, and his wife, Judy Bloomer, 71. Picture date: Saturday June 21, 2025. (Photo by Peter Byrne/PA Images via Getty Images)
RECORD-SETTING SHIPWRECK ACCIDENTALLY DISCOVERED OFF COAST OF FRANCE
A preliminary report from the U.K.’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch suggested strong winds were the likely cause of the yacht’s capsizing, though the investigation remains open.
"The findings indicate that the extreme wind experienced by Bayesian was sufficient to knock the yacht over," said Andrew Moll, chief inspector of marine accidents. "Further, once the yacht had heeled beyond an angle of 70 degrees, the situation was irrecoverable."
The report analyzed meteorological data and the vessel’s design but did not indicate when a final report would be released or whether any safety recommendations would be issued.