Italy - Sailing yacht sank off Italian coast, 15 rescued, 7 missing, 19 August 2024

[Dotta]

IMO
the furniture in whatever boat/yacht should be light and screwed to the floor.

Otherwise,
in such terrible situation,
they move rapidly and block the passages trapping people and hinder rescuers.

They can even crush the passengers.

Also, the aluminum mast broke too easily IMO.

What a tragedy
We must never underestimate Nature.

JMO

 

[Ruthbullock]

IMO
the furniture in whatever boat/yacht should be light and screwed to the floor.

Otherwise,
in such terrible situation,
they move rapidly and block the passages trapping people and hinder rescuers.

They can even crush the passengers.

Also, the aluminum mast broke too easily IMO.

What a tragedy
We must never underestimate Nature.

JMO

I think most is, I wonder if it was the beds that have slid, as they are often not attached as some guests want doubles and others singles on charter yachts, so they need to be moveable.

 

[Ruthbullock]

I think most is, I wonder if it was the beds that have slid, as they are often not attached as some guests want doubles and others singles on charter yachts, so they need to be moveable.

I suppose you also have items like suitcases and mattresses, bedding that can’t physically be attached that in the event of a tipping boat will slide and become very heavy with water.

 

[Dotta]

I suppose you also have items like suitcases and mattresses, bedding that can’t physically be attached that in the event of a tipping boat will slide and become very heavy with water.

As I once nearly drowned in the placid sea
I have utmost respect for bodies of water now.
They can turn deadly in the split of a second

 

[Baby baby Jane]

IMO
the furniture in whatever boat/yacht should be light and screwed to the floor.

Otherwise,
in such terrible situation,
they move rapidly and block the passages trapping people and hinder rescuers.

They can even crush the passengers.

Also, the aluminum mast broke too easily IMO.

What a tragedy
We must never underestimate Nature.

JMO

Agree, most stuff is in fixed position. But ornaments, chairs, suitcases, laptop, mattress, pillows, bedding, bottles, glasses will be lose. It’s a luxury ship, not likely plastic wine glasses!
At anchor, a storm surge/swell, could swamp ship as it’s at a fixed maximum position vs swell, wind pulls it over, again because it’s fixed due to anchor and now swamped with buoyancy compromised.
Similar to news reports from Ibiza last week where sailboats at anchor in shallow water during daylight were swamped/sunk from storm surge. The ships did not rise with the swell of water and filled with water. No one expecting the extreme of weather.

 

[Rikissa]

I think most is, I wonder if it was the beds that have slid, as they are often not attached as some guests want doubles and others singles on charter yachts, so they need to be moveable.

I would guess that the beds, as well as other heavy funiture were bolted down, as this was a sailing yacht, and could tilt in rough seas. It would be dangerous for the balance of the boat if all heavy furniture was to slide to the same side during a storm.

That all the members of the crew survived (except the chef who was found in the water) I would guess they were awake and working up on deck due to the poor weather. Most likely also those surviving passengers were up and awake.

 

[Tortoise]

15 (presumably 14 plus the baby) managed to fit into a lifeboat designed for 12.


39m ago18:39

Pictured: Life raft that saved survivors​

The life raft on which survivors are understood to have escaped the sinking yacht has been pictured in the harbour at Porticello in Sicily.
Earlier, Karsten Borner, the captain of a boat that came to their aide, described how he and his crew found the raft with 15 survivors inside and brought them to his ship until help arrived.
He described the situation as "awful and traumatic" for those involved - you can read his comments in full in our post at 10.55am.

Superyacht sinks latest: Survivor 'spared by grace of God' - as rescued crew members named

 

[Tortoise]

19m ago19:00

'Big question mark over how this happened'​

There is a "big question mark" over how the superyacht sunk, the editor-in-chief of BOAT International has told Sky News.
Stewart Campbell said "nothing like this had happened before" in his recollection.
"These boats are built extremely tough. They are built to take on the biggest seas the ocean can throw at them," he said.
"Big volume aluminium boats are very capable. So the fact that a boat like Bayesian can sink in a storm like this is incredibly surprising."
He said even if a ship like this was knocked down "it should be been able to right itself".
"Even if the boat had been dismasted, theoretically the boat should have been even more stable as it would have meant less weight and the keel would then have anchored the boat more firmly in the sea.
"There are lots of questions to be answered.
"At the moment from my point of view and from the people I have spoken to, including captains of similar boats, there is a big question mark over how this happened."
The action of the boat when it was struck by the storm "would have been incredibly violent" and "it should have woken everybody up".
"The crew would have sprung into action and tried to get everyone into life rafts if they thought the boat was in danger," he said.
"We just don't know what situation the boat was in when this storm struck."

Superyacht sinks latest: Survivor 'spared by grace of God' - as rescued crew members named

 

[StillDiggin]

Divers have smashed a window in the Hull but have yet to gain access to the cabins as entrances may be blocked.

Divers break into hull with crucial hours ahead in Bayesian yacht search – live

Missing six could be alive if they are trapped with an air pocket, claims engineer

www.independent.co.uk

 

[Dotta]

"Italian authorities
have opened an investigation into whether hatches left open by crew members on tech tycoon Mike Lynch's superyacht
caused it to sink so quickly.

One expert at the scene
said an early focus of the official investigation into the tragedy,
launched by prosecutors in nearby Termini Imerese,
would be whether the yacht's crew had closed access hatches into the vessel before the storm struck.

Investigators would look at whether appropriate measures had been taken,
given the forecasts for bad weather overnight,
and if any of the crew members are criminally liable."

Authorities investigate whether open hatches caused superyacht to sink

One expert at the scene said an early focus of the official investigation into the tragedy would be whether the yacht's crew had closed access hatches into the vessel before the storm struck.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[bmacmillan1]

"Italian authorities
have opened an investigation into whether hatches left open by crew members on tech tycoon Mike Lynch's superyacht
caused it to sink so quickly.

One expert at the scene
said an early focus of the official investigation into the tragedy,
launched by prosecutors in nearby Termini Imerese, would be whether the yacht's crew had closed access hatches into the vessel before the storm struck.

Investigators would look at whether appropriate measures had been taken,
given the forecasts for bad weather overnight,
and if any of the crew members are criminally liable."

Authorities investigate whether open hatches caused superyacht to sink

One expert at the scene said an early focus of the official investigation into the tragedy would be whether the yacht's crew had closed access hatches into the vessel before the storm struck.

www.dailymail.co.uk

That would be human error then?

 

[Dotta]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1826234826220859774

https://twitter.com/x/status/1826229106968551605

 

[Skigh]

Divers 'find two bodies' in shipwreck of £30m superyacht

Six people including the British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, have been missing since the luxury boat sunk near Porticello in the early hours of Monday.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Separately a source told news agency Reuters that one of the bodies belonged to a 'heavily built man'. MailOnline has been unable to independently verify the reports.

Six guests, including British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah have been missing since then, with specialist divers desperately trying to access the boat amid hope survivors could be alive in air pockets inside the vessel.

Also unaccounted for since disaster struck is Morgan Stanley boss Jonathan Bloomer, his wife Judy and American citizens Chris Morvillo and his jewellery designer wife Neda Morvillo.

The challenging operation has been hampered by issues, including access to cabins being blocked by debris and thick silt preventing divers from being able to see inside windows.

The discovery of the bodies would diminish hopes that the remaining four missing passengers will be found alive as the rescue mission enters its third day.

 

[Chimera]

Thanks for the update, @Skigh !
My condolences to their families.

Sounds like a freak accident/storm and no warning ?
Omo.

 

[CoverMeCagney]

I don’t really understand how air pockets work in a completely submerged vessel. Unless there’s a watertight room, or a section that’s still above the water level, surely the whole boat is going to quickly get full of water?

 

[Dotta]

Sounds like a freak accident/storm and no warning ?
Omo.

No warnings?
With weather conditions there?

"Other experts questioned
why the crew wasn’t paying closer attention to various weather warnings ahead of the tragedy.

'I don’t know if there was anyone on board consulting the radar.

Let’s say that if I had been on board, at the first sign of a thunderstorm, I would have woken up all the occupants and been ready and alert with lifejackets on until the storm was over',
one of Italy’s leading climate experts said."

‘Black swan’ weather phenomenon may have sunk Bayesian yacht, experts say

A rare and unexpected “black swan” weather event may have led to the luxury Bayesian superyacht’s speedy demise, maritime experts claim.

nypost.com

 

[Inthedetails]

That would be human error then?

I think it was an act of nature. From what I understand, the weather event was a waterspout which is a tornado on water. For those who know tornados, they are extremely dangerous and unpredictable. In a tornado's bouncy path, one house can be smashed to smithereens while the house next door is completely intact without damage. A car can be picked up and moved to a different location. And, the funnels happen FAST.

jmopinion

 

[Tortoise]

Two more bodies found on sunken yacht​

published at 16:06 British Summer Time​

16:06 BST​

Breaking​

Two more bodies have been found inside the wreck of the Bayesian yacht, Sicily's civil protection agency has confirmed to the BBC. They are still inside the boat.

Earlier, two other bodies were located inside the sunken vessel - they have now been brought ashore.

The identities of the four people found this afternoon have not yet been confirmed.

This means two passengers, onboard the yacht when it sank on Monday, remain missing.

Bayesian yacht live updates: Two bodies found inside sunken Sicily yacht

 

[Dotta]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1826261489470022068

 

[Ruthbullock]

No warnings?
With weather conditions there?

"Other experts questioned
why the crew wasn’t paying closer attention to various weather warnings ahead of the tragedy.

'I don’t know if there was anyone on board consulting the radar.

Let’s say that if I had been on board, at the first sign of a thunderstorm, I would have woken up all the occupants and been ready and alert with lifejackets on until the storm was over',
one of Italy’s leading climate experts said."

‘Black swan’ weather phenomenon may have sunk Bayesian yacht, experts say

A rare and unexpected “black swan” weather event may have led to the luxury Bayesian superyacht’s speedy demise, maritime experts claim.

nypost.com

I find it curious the captain from the other boat (the one that caught it all on CCTV, and was relatively close) was awake and had taken action due to the weather.
But then I also think about what logical action you would take- even if the alarm was sounded for the guests (and we don’t know it wasn’t, even if it was a crew member verbally trying to tell guests) and the sleeping guests woke and started putting on life vests- they could still have potentially been in the rooms that effectively got sealed by sliding mattresses as the ship tilted. Even raising the anchor is a slower process than most of us think, so all the crew could have been alert, and it was still unavoidable.

Note to self if I won the lottery and owned a yacht, attach the mattresses with straps to the bed.