November 10th 2024.
The luxurious Bayesian superyacht, worth a whopping £30 million, was like a floating hotel on the water. Its unique design and construction had led executives to deem it "unsinkable." However, on a celebratory voyage off the coast of Sicily, Italy, the yacht was hit by a fierce storm with winds reaching up to 80mph. What was supposed to be a joyous occasion turned into a nightmare as the yacht sank to the bottom of the ocean in just 16 minutes.
The yacht's owner, Mike Lynch, had recently been acquitted of fraud charges in the US and had set sail on August 19th to celebrate. But as the storm raged on, seven people, including Mr. Lynch and his daughter, tragically lost their lives. The only survivor, a nearby sailboat, managed to weather the storm unscathed. This event sparked an investigation into what exactly went wrong that night amid the swirling Sicilian gales.
According to witnesses, the yacht's signal cut out at 4:06am, leaving nothing but darkness and the sound of screams. The Bayesian had anchored in a cove off the coast of Poritcello at around 9pm, but at midnight, the Italian Coast Guard issued a warning about an approaching storm with winds of up to 46mph. Despite this, the yacht remained anchored as the storm hit, causing it to drift and struggle against the powerful waves.
Experienced local fishermen who had planned to head out to sea that night had canceled their plans, but the Bayesian remained anchored. As the storm grew in intensity, everyone in the area was awoken, with water even flooding into some homes. The yacht's lights were the only source of illumination as it battled against the storm, but eventually, all but one light went out. At 4:06am, the yacht's GPS signal stopped, and it sank, taking just 16 minutes to be completely engulfed by water.
One of the passengers, a British woman named Charlotte Golunksi, was thrown into the water with her one-year-old daughter. She described the terrifying experience of being surrounded by darkness and screams, fighting to keep herself and her baby afloat. In the end, she was one of the 15 survivors who managed to escape on a lifeboat, while the other seven onboard went down with the sinking yacht.
A thorough investigation by the New York Times has revealed several factors that may have contributed to the tragic sinking of the Bayesian. One of the main concerns was the yacht's 237ft aluminum mast, weighing a staggering 24 tonnes. Although the company that made the yacht, Perini Navi, denies any fault in its design, experts believe that such a massive mast could have made the yacht more susceptible to stormy weather.
The yacht also had several design flaws that could have accelerated its sinking, such as tall glass doors that could have quickly let water in and air vents located near the waterline. However, the most significant factor was undoubtedly the storm itself. Officials believe that the yacht was hit by a tornado over the water, while others speculate that it may have been a downburst, a powerful wind that descends from a thunderstorm and spreads out once it hits the ground.
As the investigation continues, both Italian prosecutors and the British Marine Accident Investigation Branch are looking into what caused the rapid sinking of the Bayesian. The yacht, which now rests on the seabed, is expected to be raised at a cost of at least £15 million, in the hopes of finding more answers surrounding this tragic event.
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