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

[I am not Sherlock H.]

Such an unfortunate tragedy. I wonder why once immediate conditions arose were 1) all on the boat not immediately awoken and 2) summoned to an area where quick egress could be achieved if needed. I am not a seaman or nautical person. MOO

 

[LifeIsAMystery]

It seems that something was stopping those trapped below deck from escaping. Those that could escape did so. Everyone must have felt the yacht "dangerously shaking". I would think that things were shattering and breaking at that time.
We know one passenger made it onto the deck, walking through broken glass. Why didn't the others?

She was the owner though and went to investigate. If I was just a passenger and on the boat for the first time, I might think it safer to stay below deck then go up in the storm. The deck looks a bit scary to me in a calm sea tbh. It was easier for the crew to access the deck and many may have gone up immediately as it was their job. Very tragic situation, seems that lowering the hull and turning on the engine to better ride the waves, as all the nearby boats did, may have saved the boat and passengers. MOOO.

 

[vls12345]

She was the owner though and went to investigate. If I was just a passenger and on the boat for the first time, I might think it safer to stay below deck then go up in the storm. The deck looks a bit scary to me in a calm sea tbh. It was easier for the crew to access the deck and many may have gone up immediately as it was their job. Very tragic situation, seems that lowering the hull and turning on the engine to better ride the waves, as all the nearby boats did, may have saved the boat and passengers. MOOO.

I have similar thoughts. MOO.

 

[SouthAussie]

Such an unfortunate tragedy. I wonder why once immediate conditions arose were 1) all on the boat not immediately awoken and 2) summoned to an area where quick egress could be achieved if needed. I am not a seaman or nautical person. MOO

I have to wonder how quickly some were moving. Did some stop to pull on pants/clothes/grab valuables? Teetering and falling around in a wildly rocking boat? By the time they tried to get out the staircase exit was blocked?

It can be hard to learn to walk in a rocking boat. Let alone one that is rocking hard. That is why they call it 'having your sea legs'. I have sustained lots of bruises while on yachts, just by bumping into things while trying to walk from A to B.


To get your sea legs is a highly popular catch phrase used in the marine lingo, which refers to the ineptness of people to poise themselves while on ships and boats.

What Does The Term "Get Your Sea Legs" Means?

Marine Insight - The maritime industry guide.

www.marineinsight.com

 

[ItalyReader]

It seems that something was stopping those trapped below deck from escaping. Those that could escape did so. Everyone must have felt the yacht "dangerously shaking". I would think that things were shattering and breaking at that time.
We know one passenger made it onto the deck, walking through broken glass. Why didn't the others?

All MOO hypothesizing.
We know the yacht listed to the right, at which point if there were openings on the right side (open hatch, open windows, broken windows), water would have entered on the right side. With the left side of the ship higher in the air than the right, now water was collecting and pooling on the right side of the ship
Then - perhaps more water entered from other areas, including windows/hatches/openings on the left side of the ship, filling up much of the interior of the yacht. Except for the left side where there were air pockets. But impossible to exit because of the water.

The something that was stopping those trapped below - I believe it was water. Could have been debris, but I believe it was water. In the darkness, the water would have been impossible to traverse.

Ultimately the boat was found on the seabed on its right side. Who knows for how long the air pockets lasted on the left side. Those poor people.

 

[Dotta]

"Sicily has long been known as a sailing paradise
with azure waters,
underwater caves,
warm, dry summers and
relatively calm conditions.

But thanks to climate change,
could more erratic weather patterns threaten the future of Sicily as a sailing destination?"

After Mike Lynch’s fatal yacht sinking, is Sicily still a yachting paradise?

"What happened to the Bayesian is something really uncommon."

fortune.com

 

[Dotta]

All MOO hypothesizing.
We know the yacht listed to the right, at which point if there were openings on the right side (open hatch, open windows, broken windows), water would have entered on the right side. With the left side of the ship higher in the air than the right, now water was collecting and pooling on the right side of the ship
Then - perhaps more water entered from other areas, including windows/hatches/openings on the left side of the ship, filling up much of the interior of the yacht. Except for the left side where there were air pockets. But impossible to exit because of the water.

The something that was stopping those trapped below - I believe it was water. Could have been debris, but I believe it was water. In the darkness, the water would have been impossible to traverse.

Ultimately the boat was found on the seabed on its right side. Who knows for how long the air pockets lasted on the left side. Those poor people.

Honestly,
People seem to understimate the power of Nature,
the power of water.

The basic condition of every cruise,
even the shortest one,
is SAFETY.

Luxury means nothing when Iives are lost.

Sailing can be great fun,
but it comes with many challenges and risks.

JMO

 

[RedHaus]

The something that was stopping those trapped below - I believe it was water. Could have been debris, but I believe it was water. In the darkness, the water would have been impossible to traverse

RS&BBM
But here is the AIS data, again:
3:50am yacht began to shake dangerously
3:59am no anchor left to hold – yacht dragged 358 metres
4:00am taking on water, plunged into blackness
4:05am sank beneath water

It was not plunged into darkness until 4:00am. It was not taking on enough water for the AIS to register that until 4:00am. But at 3:50 the yacht was doing something scary and extraordinary, "shaking dangerously".

At 3:50am, is likely when glass started to shatter everywhere. The noise of glass shattering, the downspout winds, yelling crew, screaming guests must have been terrifying. And I can't disagree that most guests may have been paralyzed with fear, or weren't willing to risk getting hurt by navigating a violently rocking yacht, and/or thought it was safer to stay below. I get that. My heart aches for them.

But... the power was still on between 3:50 - 4:00am, so there was light during that critical 10 minutes. And the AIS had not yet registered the yacht was taking on water until 4:00am, so water levels in the lower deck may not have been severe during that 10 minutes. And yet still, all but one guest died in the lower deck.

What I don't get, and clearly the investigators don't get, is was an alarm siren turned on sometime between 3:50am and 4:00am? Was there a broadcast over the yacht's sound system telling guests to MUSTER? Did any crew go down to the guests staterooms to help them up the stairs?

And, was there an attempt to electronically close up the yacht so all vents (e.g.engine room) and hatches were shut to prevent more water ingress? Why wasn't the keel down or when was that attempted? Were engines running to steer the yacht into the swells, etc.? Why wasn't the achor released until it apparently broke away at 3:59am, causing the yacht to stay below large swells?

So I go back to the $30M question, why couldn't all the guests have been saved?

 

[SouthAussie]

What I don't get, and clearly the investigators don't get, is was an alarm siren turned on sometime between 3:50am and 4:00am? Was there a broadcast over the yacht's sound system telling guests to MUSTER? Did any crew go down to the guests staterooms to help them up the stairs?

They must know this by now. There is at least one passenger that can tell them.

They are just not telling the public.

 

[Dotta]

"Two British crew members and the captain of the doomed Bayesian yacht
have been allowed to fly home after being placed under formal investigation
for 'causing a disaster and multiple manslaughter'."

https://twitter.com/x/status/1829153188898828368

 

[SouthAussie]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1829153188898828368

Not to worry. I looked earlier ... NZ has an extradition policy with Italy, if it is needed. So does Britain. So does Majorca (Spain).

I don't think France does though, where Matthew Griffiths lives. But maybe that doesn't matter because he is a British citizen and not a French one.

 

[Yellowbelly]

Not to worry. I looked earlier ... NZ has an extradition policy with Italy, if it is needed. So does Britain. So does Majorca (Spain).

I don't think France does though, where Matthew Griffiths lives.

Doesn't need one. Both countries are covered by the European Arrest Warrant.

European arrest warrant

The European arrest warrant means faster and simpler procedures in extradition procedures.

commission.europa.eu

 

[Yellowbelly]

Two things I’ve been trying to understand -

1 - “No anchor left to hold” - does that mean the anchor slipped but was still attached to the ship? Or was no longer attached to the ship?
I understand that in either case the ship moved 358 meters

2 - the emergency GPS signal- did that come from the Bayesian? And automatically generated or manually?

Thank you

Where are The Mirror getting their information from? They state it's from "Italian outlet Corriere". In other words The Mirror have found an Italian news report **IN ITALIAN** and then had to translate it into English. I wouldn't be surprised if 'shake dangerously' and 'no anchor left to hold' are not entirely accurate translations from the Italian. It would need somebody to track down the original report in 'Corriere', though, to find out.

 

[ItalyReader]

Where are The Mirror getting their information from? They state it's from "Italian outlet Corriere". In other words The Mirror have found an Italian news report **IN ITALIAN** and then had to translate it into English. I wouldn't be surprised if 'shake dangerously' and 'no anchor left to hold' are not entirely accurate translations from the Italian. It would need somebody to track down the original report in 'Corriere', though, to find out.

Great point.
So I looked up this article.

Gli ultimi 16 minuti del Bayesian, la mappa del naufragio: cosa è successo al veliero tra le 3:50 e le 4:06, quando «è andato giù in verticale»

Il veliero in balia della tempesta per oltre 350 metri: l'orario critico inizia alle 3.50 della notte tra domenica e lunedì. La mappa del naufragio

www.corriere.it

This mostly answers my GPS question - that it sent the signal automatically.
For the anchor I am not clear if the anchor line broke leaving the anchor behind, or if the anchor freed and was still attached to the boat, I'm assuming the latter. But I guess it doesn't matter terribly that point.

Thank you again for the idea. I assumed that it was a quote from an English speaking investigator, possibly reading English data.

Btw, Bari is a city indicated by the Mirror as being nearby when it is on the other side of Italy. :/

Everything below is not mine, it is the original Italian from the Corriere article cited above and a translation -

--

3:59 - (regarding anchor)
Italian:
"l'àncora ha ormai ceduto
Quei segni scarabocchiati sul foglio dicono che lo yacht era come un cane alla catena, legato all’ancora e incapace di scappare via dal pericolo. Ma dopo pochi minuti «si vede che non c’è più ancora che tenga», interpreta una fonte inquirente.
L’ancoraggio non regge più, la barca è libera ma non è nelle condizioni di tenere testa al vento che la costringe a seguire il suo percorso. Alle 3.59 una virata importante, sempre dettata dal vento."

English:
"the anchor has at this point given way
The scribblings on the sheet say that the yacht was like a dog on a chain, tied to the anchor and unable to escape from the danger. After a few mins "you can see that there's no longer an anchor holding it", says an investigating source.
The anchoring isn't holding anymore, the boat is free but is not in a position to stand up to the wind which forces it to follow the wind's path. At 3.59 a major turn, again dictated by the wind."

---
4:06 - sinking and gps
Italian:

"Ore 4:05: il Bayesian affonda​

Da qui alla fine ci sono altri 6 minuti. Alle 4.03 una nuova leggera modifica alla rotta, alle 4.05 il Bayesian scompare, dopo aver «scarrocciato» in tutto per 358 metri.
(4:06)
Pochi istanti dopo (e sono le 4.06) il suo «EPIRB», una sorta di gps che fa da dispositivo di emergenza, lancia in automatico l’allarme per avvenuto affondamento alla stazione satellitare «Cospas Sarsat» di Bari, gestita dalla Guardia costiera."

English:
"4:05 am: Bayesian sinks
From here to the end there are another 6 minutes. At 4.03 a new slight change to the route, at 4.05 the Bayesian disappears, after having "drifted" for a total of 358 meters
(4:06)
A few moments later (at 4:06) his «EPIRB», a sort of GPS that acts as an emergency device, automatically raises the alarm for the sinking at the «Cospas Sarsat» satellite station in Bari, managed by the Coast Guard."

 

[Dotta]

"Mr Petrone
said the search was a 'difficult operation'
and added:

'It was carried out in total safety with 27 divers,
with 11 specialists in underwater cave rescues
and eight trained to use an oxygen mixture during the decompression phase.

They were able to dive for 50 minutes in total,
but they could only spend around 13-14 minutes on the yacht.

The yacht was on its right hand side.

All of the cabins had been invaded with floating debris, mattresses, sheets, wardrobes.

It was due to this large amount of floating debris that the operation progressed with difficulty.

We had two divers who focused on searching the yacht,
four in the water as a safety team and two on the surface.

So,
for every two divers that went in,
there was a team of six looking after their safety,
ready to intervene at any sign of danger'."

https://twitter.com/x/status/1829161399207018750

 

[ItalyReader]

Great point.
So I looked up this article.

Gli ultimi 16 minuti del Bayesian, la mappa del naufragio: cosa è successo al veliero tra le 3:50 e le 4:06, quando «è andato giù in verticale»

Il veliero in balia della tempesta per oltre 350 metri: l'orario critico inizia alle 3.50 della notte tra domenica e lunedì. La mappa del naufragio

www.corriere.it

This mostly answers my GPS question - that it sent the signal automatically.
For the anchor I am not clear if the anchor line broke leaving the anchor behind, or if the anchor freed and was still attached to the boat, I'm assuming the latter. But I guess it doesn't matter terribly that point.

Thank you again for the idea. I assumed that it was a quote from an English speaking investigator, possibly reading English data.

Btw, Bari is a city indicated by the Mirror as being nearby when it is on the other side of Italy. :/

Everything below is not mine, it is the original Italian from the Corriere article cited above and a translation -

--

3:59 - (regarding anchor)
Italian:
"l'àncora ha ormai ceduto
Quei segni scarabocchiati sul foglio dicono che lo yacht era come un cane alla catena, legato all’ancora e incapace di scappare via dal pericolo. Ma dopo pochi minuti «si vede che non c’è più ancora che tenga», interpreta una fonte inquirente.
L’ancoraggio non regge più, la barca è libera ma non è nelle condizioni di tenere testa al vento che la costringe a seguire il suo percorso. Alle 3.59 una virata importante, sempre dettata dal vento."

English:
"the anchor has at this point given way
The scribblings on the sheet say that the yacht was like a dog on a chain, tied to the anchor and unable to escape from the danger. After a few mins "you can see that there's no longer an anchor holding it", says an investigating source.
The anchoring isn't holding anymore, the boat is free but is not in a position to stand up to the wind which forces it to follow the wind's path. At 3.59 a major turn, again dictated by the wind."

---
4:06 - sinking and gps
Italian:

"Ore 4:05: il Bayesian affonda​

Da qui alla fine ci sono altri 6 minuti. Alle 4.03 una nuova leggera modifica alla rotta, alle 4.05 il Bayesian scompare, dopo aver «scarrocciato» in tutto per 358 metri.
(4:06)
Pochi istanti dopo (e sono le 4.06) il suo «EPIRB», una sorta di gps che fa da dispositivo di emergenza, lancia in automatico l’allarme per avvenuto affondamento alla stazione satellitare «Cospas Sarsat» di Bari, gestita dalla Guardia costiera."

English:
"4:05 am: Bayesian sinks
From here to the end there are another 6 minutes. At 4.03 a new slight change to the route, at 4.05 the Bayesian disappears, after having "drifted" for a total of 358 meters
(4:06)
A few moments later (at 4:06) his «EPIRB», a sort of GPS that acts as an emergency device, automatically raises the alarm for the sinking at the «Cospas Sarsat» satellite station in Bari, managed by the Coast Guard."

sorry, I neglected the part about "3:50am yacht began to shake dangerously" @Yellowbelly :

From

Italian:

Ore 3:50: la tromba marina e il veliero che oscilla​

Nel tracciato Ais l’orario critico arriva che sono le 3.50 della notte fra domenica e lunedì. La burrasca è potente, il vento si alza impetuoso, la Bayesian comincia a ondeggiare pericolosamente. Il sistema di tracciamento mostra una zona che graficamente assomiglia allo scarabocchio di un bambino su un foglio: è il veliero che si muove avanti e indietro, poi di fianco, poi ancora avanti e di nuovo indietro.

English:
3.50am: the waterspout and the sailing ship that was rocking
In the Ais route the critical time arrives at 3.50 in the night between Sunday and Monday. The storm was strong, the wind rose violently, the Bayesian began to sway dangerously. The tracking system shows an area that graphically resembles a child's scribble on paper: it is the sailing ship moving back and forth, then sideways, then forward again and back again.

all from same Corriere link
Gli ultimi 16 minuti del Bayesian, la mappa del naufragio: cosa è successo al veliero tra le 3:50 e le 4:06, quando «è andato giù in verticale»

 

[bmacmillan1]

Captain Who Saw Sicily Yacht Sink Says Mike Lynch’s Wife Didn’t Want to Leave Scene Without Husband and Daughter

The captain of a nearby boat who witnessed the Aug. 19 sinking of the luxury yacht amid a storm off the coast of Sicily says the wife of British tech billionaire Mike Lynch did not want to leave the scene until her husband and daughter were found.

people.com

 

[rockthecasbah]

"Mr Petrone
said the search was a 'difficult operation'
and added:

'It was carried out in total safety with 27 divers,
with 11 specialists in underwater cave rescues
and eight trained to use an oxygen mixture during the decompression phase.

They were able to dive for 50 minutes in total,
but they could only spend around 13-14 minutes on the yacht.

The yacht was on its right hand side.

All of the cabins had been invaded with floating debris, mattresses, sheets, wardrobes.

It was due to this large amount of floating debris that the operation progressed with difficulty.

We had two divers who focused on searching the yacht,
four in the water as a safety team and two on the surface.

So,
for every two divers that went in,
there was a team of six looking after their safety,
ready to intervene at any sign of danger'."

https://twitter.com/x/status/1829161399207018750

The divers are heroes

 

[RedHaus]

I am starting to poke around weather history for August 19 & 18 in Porticello, Italy. I can't yet find radar history... maybe an OP is a weather wizard!

But below are four screen shots (two for 19-8 and two for 18-8) of temperature, precipitation, and wind history for the closest Weather Underground weather station: Cefalù, Palermo, Italy.

No denying something very odd occurred August 19 ~3:50am. A dramatic wind gust spike followed by a significant drop in air temperature. But little precipitation recorded at that time.

What would be very telling is the radar history of that 'front', in terms of how much this could have been anticipated by the crew (e.g. watchman).

​

 

[SouthAussie]

I am starting to poke around weather history for August 19 & 18 in Porticello, Italy. I can't yet find radar history... maybe an OP is a weather wizard!

But below are four screen shots (two for 19-8 and two for 18-8) of temperature, precipitation, and wind history for the closest Weather Underground weather station: Cefalù, Palermo, Italy.

No denying something very odd occurred August 19 ~3:50am. A dramatic wind gust spike followed by a significant drop in air temperature. But little precipitation recorded at that time.

What would be very telling is the radar history of that 'front', in terms of how much this could have been anticipated by the crew (e.g. watchman).

View attachment 527840

View attachment 527841​

View attachment 527842View attachment 527843

I have read a couple of quotes about the storm. It sounds as if it was much worse than was forecast.


“The wind was very strong. Bad weather was expected, but not of this magnitude,” a coast guard official in the Sicilian capital Palermo said the next day. Link

Stephen Edwards, a former captain of the Bayesian .... explained that the yacht's "Downflooding Angle" was around 40-45 degrees, at which point water could enter through ventilation ducts.

He added: "The weather conditions that could have created these extreme circumstances can indeed occur with very little warning and being so localised are difficult to prepare for, leaving a very short time for the crew to react." Link