Breakthrough discovery in doomed superyacht

Divers have recovered video surveillance equipment from billionaire Mike Lynch’s Bayesian superyacht that could reveal key details of its sinking.

Divers have recovered video surveillance equipment from billionaire Mike Lynch’s Bayesian superyacht that could reveal key details of its sinking.

The entrepreneur and dad-of-two, dubbed “Britain’s Bill Gates”, died alongside his teenage daughter when his superyacht sank off the coast of Sicily on August 19.

Prosecutors investigating the sinking deployed six elite divers from special forces unit “Comsubin” who have made repeated dives down to the sunken vessel.

Divers from the Italian Navy were able to retrieve the surveillance equipment including computers and hard drives.

Billionaire Mike Lynch with his daughter Hannah – both died onboard the yacht. Picture: Supplied

Now they are to be analysed in specialised labs, according to a report.

The devices will be examined to see if any data can be revealed, or potentially a video showing how the yacht sank – including whether any doors were left open.

The captain of the doomed Bayesian, James Cutfield, 51, from New Zealand, is being investigated for manslaughter.

Italian prosecutor Raffaele Cammarano speaks during a press conference on August 24 in Termini Imerese, Sicily. Picture: Alessandro Fucarini / AFP

Mr Cutfield, along with two other members of his crew, are being investigated by Italian authorities for culpable shipwreck and multiple manslaughter.

Prosecutors are also probing UK ship engineer Tim Parker-Eaton, and sailor Matthew Griffith, 22, under the same charges.

Divers have recovered video surveillance equipment from Mike Lynch’s Bayesian superyacht that could reveal key details of its sinking. Picture: Alberto Pizzoli/AFP

The investigation does not imply guilt or mean formal charges will be brought against any of the men.

At a press conference at the Termini Imerese Courthouse on Saturday, Chief Prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio said there may have been “behaviours that were not perfectly in order with regard to the responsibility everybody had”.

His team will probe if hatches were left open, allowing water to flood in.

They will also look into whether the crew raised the alarm before escaping.

Jonathan and Judy Bloomer died in the sinking of the luxury yacht Bayesian off the coast of Sicily. Picture: Family handout/AFP

He vowed to “discover how much they knew and to what extent all the people (passengers) were warned”.

“There could be in fact the question of homicide. But this is the beginning of the inquiry, we cannot exclude anything at all …We will establish each element’s (crew) responsibility,” Mr Cartosio added. “For me, it is probable that offences were committed — that it could be a case of manslaughter.”

The body of Mike Lynch and his four guests, Christopher, Neda, Jonathan and Judy were found in the first cabin on the left.

Jewellery designer Neda Morvillo. Picture: Supplied

New York lawyer Christopher Morvillo.

Divers recovered five of the six missing passengers – including Lynch – in one cabin on the left side of the yacht which settled on its right side on the sea floor.

A judicial investigation into the yacht tragedy is ongoing.

The luxury vessel was caught up in a horror storm which caused it to sink in the early hours of the morning.

Of the 22 onboard, 15 survived with 11 including Mike Lynch’s wife rescued on an inflatable life raft.

Lynch’s 18-year-old daughter Hannah was the last passenger to be discovered in the third cabin.

The survivors of the wreck, including Lynch’s wife Angela Bacares, 57, left Sicily in a private jet last Sunday.

This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission