Could sunken $60m superyacht be hiding secrets in watertight safes?

Security has been tightened around the wreckage of the tragic $60m superyacht Bayesian off Sicily amid fears highly sensitive data may be locked in watertight safes on the vessel.

Security has been tightened around the sunken wreckage of the $60 million superyacht Bayesian off Sicily amid fears highly sensitive data tied to a number of Western intelligence services may be locked in watertight safes on the vessel.

The 56m luxury yacht sank last month after it was hit by a suspected “downburst” of strong wind, causing to to drift about 400m from its anchorage near the fishing port of Porticello.

Fifteen of the 22 passengers and crew survived by clambering on to an inflatable life raft. The bodies of British tech tycoon Mike Lynch, his 18-year-old daughter Hannah and the other five victims were found by divers on board.

Divers of the Vigili del Fuoco, the Italian Corps. of Firefighters arrive in Porticello harbor near Palermo, with a third body at the back of the boat on August 21, two days after the British-flagged luxury yacht Bayesian sank. Picture: Alberto Pizzoli / AFP

Mr Lynch’s wife Angela Bacares, whose company owns the superyacht, and 14 others survived, including the captain, New Zealander James Cutfield.

According to media reports that surfaced over the weekend, specialist divers investigating the wreckage asked for heightened security over concerns that sensitive data locked in the yacht’s safes may be at risk.

Their request has been granted and the yacht it under guard above the water and through underwater surveillance.

Mr Lynch was associated with British, American and other intelligence services through his various companies, including the cyber security company he founded, Darktrace.

UK tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his daughter Hannah Lynch. Picture: FAMILY HANDOUT / AFP

It has been reported an unidentified official involved in the salvage plans had revealed that the vessel, lying on the seabed at a depth of about 50m, was thought to have watertight safes containing two super-encrypted hard drives that hold highly classified information, including passcodes and other sensitive data.

Italian prosecutors are conducting a criminal investigation into the tragedy, and expect to raise the wreckage in the coming weeks.

Divers of the Vigili del Fuoco, the Italian Corps. of Firefighters leave Porticello harbor near Palermo four days after the British-flagged luxury yacht Bayesian sank. Picture: Stanley International, and his wife Judy. Picture: Alberto Pizzoli / AFP

They are looking at whether human error contributed to the tragedy, with claims that portholes and hatches were left open which led to the yacht’s rapid sinking.

Divers have retrieved video surveillance equipment and hard drives from the superyacht Bayesian as part of the investigation.

Originally published as Could sunken $60m superyacht be hiding secrets in watertight safes?