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

[Yellowbelly]

The law only applies after doing a deep dive if the ship/yacht/boat is being driven, not if docked/ parked somewhere- then only the people on watch should be under the alcohol level, whilst on watch. The captain can be found ,if drunk, that the alcohol was an aggravating factor if an accident occurs. But as none of the crew were tested it’s never going to be relevant in this case, although the knowledge of how drunk the passengers were and how well the crew reacted due to that will be a factor that is considered I’m sure. If the yacht was registered in Italy- none of that applies as you and the crew are allowed to drink on yachts- a little loophole in their laws

To quote from the Marine Guidance Note - "It is an offence for a professional seafarer to be impaired by drink (or drugs) whilst on duty on board a ship or at any time on board a vessel if they might be required to undertake emergency duties to protect the safety of passengers."

Though given that the Italian authorities didn't test the crew for drink and drugs, if any of them were on the sauce they got away with it.

 

[RedHaus]

To quote from the Marine Guidance Note - "It is an offence for a professional seafarer to be impaired by drink (or drugs) whilst on duty on board a ship or at any time on board a vessel if they might be required to undertake emergency duties to protect the safety of passengers."

Though given that the Italian authorities didn't test the crew for drink and drugs, if any of them were on the sauce they got away with it.

...unless, through their investigation, presumably in part by interviewing surviving crew and passengers, perhaps numerous times with different angles and intelligence, prosecutors ferret out witnessed drinking or drugging by any crew members...

 

[RedHaus]

Very sad Reuters news today (7-9). But not unexpected.

1. "...British tech tycoon Mike Lynch died of suffocation after running out of oxygen..."

2. "...Initial results on Hannah Lynch's body... were inconclusive... only ruling out any traumas or wounds as the cause of death and leaving open the possibilities she either ran out of oxygen or drowned."

3. "...Initial examinations of the Canadian-Antiguan onboard chef Recaldo Thomas indicated he died by drowning..."

4. "...Further forensic tests have been ordered all the victims, with results expected in the coming weeks..."

5. "...The sinking has puzzled naval experts, who said a vessel like the Bayesian... should have withstood the storm and not have sunk as quickly as it did."

IMO

 

[Yellowbelly]

Very sad Reuters news today (7-9). But not unexpected.

1. "...British tech tycoon Mike Lynch died of suffocation after running out of oxygen..."

2. "...Initial results on Hannah Lynch's body... were inconclusive... only ruling out any traumas or wounds as the cause of death and leaving open the possibilities she either ran out of oxygen or drowned."

3. "...Initial examinations of the Canadian-Antiguan onboard chef Recaldo Thomas indicated he died by drowning..."

4. "...Further forensic tests have been ordered all the victims, with results expected in the coming weeks..."

5. "...The sinking has puzzled naval experts, who said a vessel like the Bayesian... should have withstood the storm and not have sunk as quickly as it did."

IMO

So that's five of the passengers who are confirmed to have suffocated rather than drowned. As I recall, all were found in the same cabin. How long do we think that such an air pocket would have lasted before the oxygen ran out? Might they still have been alive on the morning of the sinking when the first divers went down? Not that there was ever any realistic chance of rescue as the divers could only spend 10 minutes at the wreck on each dive and they had to try and pick their way into the yacht without putting their own lives in danger.

 

[RedHaus]

So that's five of the passengers who are confirmed to have suffocated rather than drowned. As I recall, all were found in the same cabin. How long do we think that such an air pocket would have lasted before the oxygen ran out? Might they still have been alive on the morning of the sinking when the first divers went down? Not that there was ever any realistic chance of rescue as the divers could only spend 10 minutes at the wreck on each dive and they had to try and pick their way into the yacht without putting their own lives in danger.

Right, @Yellowbelly. Many things haunt me about how all 7 perished.

I try not to ponder the question you pose about the 5 who apparently huddled, sharing a last air pocket, but I have. There is nothing more that could likely have been done to rescue them. So it is a moot question. That is, other than the impact it may have on sentencing for any criminal wrongdoing by the crew - the amount of human suffering their actions or inaction may have caused. I just hope their suffering was brief.

As for HL, I still can't figure out why she died alone while her father was possibly down the hallway with others. There has to have been some major impediment to getting her to leave her stateroom - unable to hear behind a locked door because she wore a noise cancelling device and/or had taken sleeping pills? Too much debris or water blocking the way for anyone to get to her door? I just have to wonder if she died in her sleep - could that have caused her autopsy to be inconclusive?

But the death that haunts me the most is RT's. While invesigators may know by now what his movements were during those critical 10 minutes, based on interviews of survivors, my darkest fear is he was alive in the water while others piled onto the inflatable life raft and was somehow missed. That may be total fantasy in my mind, as the survivors may have reported seeing his lifeless body in the water. But if not, when did RT drown? Again, I truly hope his suffering was brief.

May they all rest in peace. And may this be my only post discussing their deaths.

All IMHO.

 

[bmacmillan1]

Right, @Yellowbelly. Many things haunt me about how all 7 perished.

I try not to ponder the question you pose about the 5 who apparently huddled, sharing a last air pocket, but I have. There is nothing more that could likely have been done to rescue them. So it is a moot question. That is, other than the impact it may have on sentencing for any criminal wrongdoing by the crew - the amount of human suffering their actions or inaction may have caused. I just hope their suffering was brief.

As for HL, I still can't figure out why she died alone while her father was possibly down the hallway with others. There has to have been some major impediment to getting her to leave her stateroom - unable to hear behind a locked door because she wore a noise cancelling device and/or had taken sleeping pills? Too much debris or water blocking the way for anyone to get to her door? I just have to wonder if she died in her sleep - could that have caused her autopsy to be inconclusive?

But the death that haunts me the most is RT's. While invesigators may know by now what his movements were during those critical 10 minutes, based on interviews of survivors, my darkest fear is he was alive in the water while others piled onto the inflatable life raft and was somehow missed. That may be total fantasy in my mind, as the survivors may have reported seeing his lifeless body in the water. But if not, when did RT drown? Again, I truly hope his suffering was brief.

May they all rest in peace. And may this be my only post discussing their deaths.

All IMHO.

A sudden thought struck me - I wonder if RF could swim. He was the chef and his job was not on the actual operating of the boat. Or maybe that is a pre-requisite for the entire crew to be able to know how to swim.

 

[ItalyReader]

Right, @Yellowbelly. Many things haunt me about how all 7 perished.

I try not to ponder the question you pose about the 5 who apparently huddled, sharing a last air pocket, but I have. There is nothing more that could likely have been done to rescue them. So it is a moot question. That is, other than the impact it may have on sentencing for any criminal wrongdoing by the crew - the amount of human suffering their actions or inaction may have caused. I just hope their suffering was brief.

As for HL, I still can't figure out why she died alone while her father was possibly down the hallway with others. There has to have been some major impediment to getting her to leave her stateroom - unable to hear behind a locked door because she wore a noise cancelling device and/or had taken sleeping pills? Too much debris or water blocking the way for anyone to get to her door? I just have to wonder if she died in her sleep - could that have caused her autopsy to be inconclusive?

But the death that haunts me the most is RT's. While invesigators may know by now what his movements were during those critical 10 minutes, based on interviews of survivors, my darkest fear is he was alive in the water while others piled onto the inflatable life raft and was somehow missed. That may be total fantasy in my mind, as the survivors may have reported seeing his lifeless body in the water. But if not, when did RT drown? Again, I truly hope his suffering was brief.

May they all rest in peace. And may this be my only post discussing their deaths.

All IMHO.

Re HL and dying in sleep - wouldn’t she wake up when water touched her?
Re RT I’ve been wondering if possibly MOO he was knocked unconscious by something and then drowned

 

[Yellowbelly]

So, I tried to look up how long the air pocket might have lasted myself, and discovered something else. At a depth of 50m the air would be sufficiently pressurised as to produce nitrogen narcosis in those breathing it. The effect on the victims at that depth would have been similar to the effects of drinking three martinis.

Nitrogen narcosis - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[ItalyReader]

So, I tried to look up how long the air pocket might have lasted myself, and discovered something else. At a depth of 50m the air would be sufficiently pressurised as to produce nitrogen narcosis in those breathing it. The effect on the victims at that depth would have been similar to the effects of drinking three martinis.

Nitrogen narcosis - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

This is very interesting. We can hope that it had this effect - “At its most benign, narcosis results in relief of anxiety – a feeling of tranquillity and mastery of the environment”

 

[Ruthbullock]

A sudden thought struck me - I wonder if RF could swim. He was the chef and his job was not on the actual operating of the boat. Or maybe that is a pre-requisite for the entire crew to be able to know how to swim.

I’m sure he will have had to be able to swim, but in the dark in a storm, with nothing to hold onto and perhaps initially submerged when falling off, panic and disorientation can set in, as well as the initial swallowing of water causing panic.