Four Bodies Recovered In Search After Superyacht Sinks Off Italian Coast

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PORTICELLO, Sicily (AP) — Divers searching nan wreck of a superyacht that sank disconnected Sicily recovered 4 bodies Wednesday, arsenic nan hunt continued for 2 much missing passengers and questions intensified astir why nan alloy sank truthful quickly.

Divers and rescue crews unloaded 2 assemblage bags from nan rescue vessels that pulled into larboard astatine Porticello. Salvatore Cocina, caput of nan Sicily civilian protection agency, said 2 different bodies had besides been recovered Wednesday successful nan wreckage for a full of four.

The find indicated that nan cognition to hunt nan hull connected nan seabed 50 meters (164 feet) underwater was a betterment one, not a rescue, fixed nan magnitude of clip that had passed and nary signs of life had emerged complete 3 days of searching, maritime experts said.

The Bayesian, a 56-meter (184-foot) British-flagged yacht, went down successful a large wind early Monday arsenic it was moored astir a kilometer (a half-mile) offshore. Civil protection officials said they believed nan vessel was struck by a tornado complete nan water, known arsenic a waterspout, and sank quickly.

Fifteen group escaped successful a lifeboat and were rescued by a adjacent sailboat. One assemblage was recovered Monday — that of nan ship’s Antigua-born chef, Recaldo Thomas.

Six group remained unaccounted for, including British tech magnate Mike Lynch, his 18-year-old girl and associates who had successfully defended him successful a caller U.S. national fraud trial.

Italian Firefighters scuba divers bring ashore successful a greenish container nan assemblage of 1 of nan victims of nan UK emblem alloy Bayesian, Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Salvatore Cavalli)
Italian Firefighters scuba divers bring ashore successful a greenish container nan assemblage of 1 of nan victims of nan UK emblem alloy Bayesian, Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Salvatore Cavalli)

via Associated Press

Investigators from nan Termini Imerese Public Prosecutor’s Office, meanwhile, were acquiring grounds for their criminal investigation, which they opened instantly after nan tragedy moreover though nary general suspects person been publically identified.

Questions abound astir what caused nan superyacht, which was built successful 2008 by Italian shipyard Perini Navi, to descend truthful quickly, erstwhile nan adjacent Sir Robert Baden Powell sailboat was mostly spared and managed to rescue nan 15 survivors.

Was it simply nan lawsuit of a freak waterspout that knocked nan vessel to its broadside and allowed h2o to move successful done unfastened hatches? What was nan position of nan keel, which connected a ample sailboat specified arsenic nan Bayesian mightiness person been retractable, to let it to participate shallower ports?

“There’s a batch of uncertainty arsenic to whether it had a lifting keel and whether it mightiness person been up,” said Jean-Baptiste Souppez, a chap of nan Royal Institute of Naval Architects and nan editor of nan Journal of Sailing Technology. “But if it had, past that would trim nan magnitude of stableness that nan alloy had, and truthful made it easier for it to rotation complete connected its side,” he said successful an interview.

Yachts specified arsenic nan Bayesian are besides required to person watertight, sub-compartments that are specifically designed to forestall a rapid, catastrophic sinking moreover erstwhile immoderate parts capable pinch water.

“So for nan alloy to sink, particularly this fast, you are really looking astatine taking h2o connected committee very quickly, but besides successful a number of locations on nan magnitude of nan vessel, which again indicates that it mightiness person been rolled complete connected its side,” Souppez said.

In this image released by nan Italian Firefighters Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024, Scuba divers study a representation of nan sailing yacht Bayesian astatine nan Porticello harbor. (Italian Firefighters via AP, HO)
In this image released by nan Italian Firefighters Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024, Scuba divers study a representation of nan sailing yacht Bayesian astatine nan Porticello harbor. (Italian Firefighters via AP, HO)

via Associated Press

Italian seashore defender and occurrence rescue divers, meanwhile, continued nan underwater hunt successful vulnerable and time-consuming conditions. Because of nan extent of nan wreck — which is acold deeper than astir recreational divers are certified for and astatine a extent that requires typical precautions — divers moving successful tag teams tin only walk astir 12 minutes astatine a clip searching.

The constricted dive clip is designed successful portion to debar decompression sickness, besides known arsenic nan “bends,” which tin hap erstwhile divers enactment underwater for agelong periods and ascend excessively quickly, allowing nitrogen state dissolved successful nan humor to shape bubbles.

“The longer you stay, nan slower your ascent has to be,” said Simon Rogerson, nan editor of SCUBA magazine. He said nan tight turnaround clip suggests nan managers of nan cognition are trying to limit nan risks and betterment clip aft each dive.

“It sounds for illustration they’re operating fundamentally connected nary decompression aliases very tight decompression, aliases they’re being highly conservative,” he said.

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Winfield reported from Rome and Kirka from London. Trisha Thomas contributed from Rome.

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