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On Monday, August 19, Sicily witnessed a tragedy when the luxury yacht “Bayesian” sank after being hit by a water tornado in an “incredible event.” Most of the 22 passengers on board were rescued, but six people were confirmed dead, including British technology entrepreneur Mike Lynch. The last person still missing is Lynch’s 18-year-old daughter Hannah.
The incident raised concerns from Giovanni Costantino, head of the Italian Sea Group. According to CNN, Costantino questioned why those on board did not notice the approaching storm or the problem of the so-called “unsinkable ship.” He said, “Everything that happened reveals a series of serious negligence. The passengers should not have been in their cabins, the ship should not have been at anchor. Why did the crew not notice the approaching turbulence?”
Costantino added that it was hard to understand why passengers were caught off guard, as weather maps had already predicted the natural disaster. “Passengers reported that the storm came suddenly, but that’s not true. Everything was predictable. We have the weather maps in front of us. Nothing happened suddenly,” he said. He also noted that the absence of any fishermen in the area should have been a clear warning sign.
Fisherman Pietro Asciuto, who witnessed the sinking, gave his perspective, according to The Washington Post: “I was at home when the tornado hit. I immediately closed all the windows,” he said. “Then I saw the ship. It only had one mast and it was very big. And then all of a sudden I saw it sinking… The ship was still floating, and then all of a sudden it was gone.”
The tragedy came after it was revealed that the Baysian’s late owner, Mike Lynch, had put the yacht up for sale in March for £30 million (about $39 million), according to The Telegraph. Lynch then had second thoughts and took the yacht off the market to sail in the summer, then relist it in the fall.
According to PEOPLE, the passengers were celebrating Lynch’s recent acquittal in a financial fraud trial in the US. A source said: “That’s why he brought his closest friends and colleagues on this trip.”
