Two British crew members who were working on the £30m Bayesian superyacht when it sank off the coast of Sicily, killing seven people, have been placed under investigation.
Six passengers, including British tech billionaire Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah, drowned in the August 19 tragedy. The chef on board the yacht, Recaldo Thomas, also died.
Italian prosecutors are investigating Tim Parker Eaton, who was in charge of the engine room on the night of the sinking, a judicial source told Reuters today.
Investigators are also said to be looking into another British crew member, Matthew Griffith, who was on watch on deck, as well as Tijs Koopmans, 33, the Dutch first officer.
The development comes after the ship’s captain, James Cutfield, was placed under investigation for manslaughter and shipwreck on Monday. His lawyers have revealed he was too “shaken” to answer questions during his first formal questioning yesterday.
James Cutfield, a 51-year-old New Zealander, was in charge of the Bayesian when it sank off the coast of Sicily during a storm.
A photograph provided on August 19 by the Perini Navi Press Office shows the ‘Bayesiano’ sailboat, in Palermo, Sicily, Italy.
British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah were killed in the Bayesian tragedy when their superyacht sank off the coast of Sicily.
The British-flagged Bayesian superyacht (pictured) was owned by tech mogul Mike Lynch
Recaldo Thomas, chef at the Bayesian, was the first person to be rescued after the yacht sank on Monday
Judy and Jonathan Bloomer died on the Bayesian when it capsized in the water.
The bodies of Neda and Chris Morvillo, photographed in 2018, were also recovered last week.
Aldo Mordiglia, one of the lawyers representing the 51-year-old New Zealander, had claimed the captain wanted to cooperate with the investigation, but later revealed his client had “exercised his right to remain silent.”
“There were two reasons,” Mordiglia said. The times“It is understandable that he is very affected and, secondly, we were appointed lawyers yesterday and we need to obtain information that we do not have in order to be able to defend him.”
Italian prosecutors had already questioned Cutfield, who they said had been “extremely cooperative.” Other crew members of the 56-meter (184-foot) British-flagged luxury yacht remained in Italy voluntarily to help with the investigation.
Under Italian law, being under investigation does not imply any guilt and does not necessarily lead to criminal charges.
Cutfield, Parker-Eaton and Griffith were among 15 survivors of the Aug. 19 tragedy that killed Lynch, Hannah, Morgan Stanley International bank president Jonathan Bloomer, his wife Judy Bloomer, Clifford Chance attorney Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda Morvillo.
The body of former Canadian citizen Mr. Thomas was recovered at the site of the sinking, while the other bodies were found in the following days by divers.
Their bodies were taken to the nearby village of Porticello, about 11 miles from the Sicilian capital, Palermo.
The bodies of the victims were tragically found in “cramped spaces” with furniture on top and brought to shore one by one by diving teams last week, who had made 120 trips to the wreck on the seabed.
Fifteen of the 22 people on board the boat, including Hannah’s mother, Angela Bacares, 57, managed to escape on a life raft.
Italian prosecutors have admitted they did not test the ship’s crew for alcohol or drugs (all but one survived) because they needed treatment and were in shock. They have vowed to question the sailors thoroughly.
Chief prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio, who is leading the investigation, said his team would consider every possible element of liability, including those of the captain, the crew, those in charge of supervision and the yacht’s manufacturer.
The coast guard says no tornado warning had been issued that night, contrary to earlier reports, and the ship’s captain, Mr Cutfield, reportedly told Italian newspaper La Repubblica of the sudden change in weather: “We didn’t see it coming.”
Mr Cartosio previously said he thought it was “likely that criminal activity” was committed around the yacht’s sinking.
A case of shipwreck and manslaughter was opened which was not initially directed against any individual. Mr. Cutfield is now being investigated for shipwreck and manslaughter.
Mr Cutfield (pictured) is now under investigation for shipwreck and manslaughter.
Search boats returned to shore on Friday after Hannah Lynch’s body was discovered
According to a live translation provided by the BBC, Carosio told reporters that the sinking could have been the responsibility of the captain, the crew, the people in charge of supervision, the ship’s builder or others.
He added: ‘We will establish the responsibility of each element; that will be done by the investigation, so we cannot do it prematurely.
‘I think it is likely that crimes have been committed, that it could be a case of homicide, but we will only be able to establish that if we are given time to investigate.
“The time it takes for a media outlet to reach a conclusion is completely different from that taken by a prosecutor. We need a minimum amount of time to reach an adequate scientific conclusion.”
Mr Cartosio, while stressing that investigations are still at an early stage, seemed to suggest there were questions the crew needed to answer.
Italian prosecutors held a press conference on Saturday where it was revealed that the victims were unable to escape because they were sleeping through the storm.
He added that it would be “painful” if, theoretically, “this tragedy, this terrible tragedy, was caused by behaviour that was not perfectly in line with the responsibility that everyone should have (on) the ship.”
He added: “There may be individuals or people who are potentially culpable, negligent, lacking prudence, lacking responsibility… We cannot address this quickly.”
Investigators are focusing on how a sailing ship deemed “unsinkable” by its manufacturer, the Italian shipyard Perini Navi, sank while a nearby sailboat remained virtually unscathed.
Prosecutors said the event was “extremely fast” and could have been a “downburst” – a localized, powerful wind that descends from a thunderstorm and spreads rapidly upon hitting the ground.
The Bayesian will be rescued from the seabed after removing 18,000 liters of fuel from its tank.