Seven dead in Italy

Yacht drama: Captain in the investigators’ sights

After the shipwreck with seven fatalities off Palermo, the captain is now being targeted by the judiciary.

(Bild: ALBERTO PIZZOLI)

Investigators questioned the 51-year-old for two hours. Did the "Bayesian" fall victim to the storm or his decisions?

Did he underestimate the danger? James Cutfield was in charge of nine crew members and twelve guests on the "Bayesian". The ship had already survived severe storms in the past. But this time everything was different. Now seven people are dead. The 18-year-old daughter of billionaire Mike Lynch is still missing.

Billionaire Mike Lynch died in the disaster.

(Bild: AFP)

Sudden drop in weather
"The storm came out of the blue," explained the 51-year-old captain. Investigators are now looking into whether this was really the case or whether Cutfield underestimated the imminent danger. Initial witness interviews confirm the sudden fall in the weather. However, the question remains as to whether all possible risks had been adequately assessed.

James is an experienced seaman. He has weathered many storms.

Bruder des Kapitäns

From New Zealand, Cutfield's home country, his brother contacted us: "James is an experienced sailor. He has weathered many storms." The luxury yacht was also considered "practically unsinkable". The accusations made against the crew by Giovanni Costantino, head of the luxury shipyard Perini Navi, are all the more serious: "Everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong! Why were the guests in the cabins when there was danger? Also, the yacht should not have anchored, but should have picked up speed," he criticizes.

Although Costantino admits that an open stern hatch contributed to the disaster, he is certain: "If the right decisions had been made, there would have been no fatalities." The realization that the sinking could have been prevented comes too late for the families of the victims. So the search for culprits continues.