14 minutes before sinking

New Bayesian photo disproves theory of the accident

(Bild: APA/AFP)

The mystery surrounding the mega sailing yacht Bayesian, which sank off the coast of Sicily, has still not been solved. A newly emerged photo, taken just a few minutes before the accident, is now said to disprove at least one theory as to why the ship sank so quickly. 

The photo was taken from the yacht Sir Robert Baden Powell - the crew of this topsail schooner rescued many people after the Bayesian sank in mid-August. The two-master, which had weathered the storm well, was anchored only around 100 meters away from the luxury yacht. 

No doors open in photo
After the accident, it was assumed that the crew of the Bayesian had perhaps left the large door on the rear port side open, which is why the 56-metre-long ship sank so quickly. The photo published in a documentary broadcast on ITV on Thursday disproves this theory. 

The "proof photo" of the Bayesian can be seen in this report:

The picture is said to have been taken by Karsten Borner, the captain of the Sir Baden Powell, 14 minutes before the Bayesian sank. He told the magazine "Der Spiegel" that he was disappointed by the shipyard's repeated attempts to blame the crew for the accident. Perini Navi had marketed the Bayesian as "unsinkable". His anger had grown when the shipyard owner claimed that the crew must have left doors or hatches open.

Captain first thought: "Something that big doesn't disappear in a minute"
In the ITV documentary, Captain Borner also recalled the terrifying moments when the mega yacht sank into the water. "My first mate said: 'She's gone, she's sunk', and I laughed at him and said something that big doesn't disappear in a minute. He was right," said the skipper.

Pictures of the operation after the accident:

Difficult rescue: "Girl was hidden behind mattress"
Italian firefighter Fabio Paoletti, who dived for the bodies in the sunken ship, reported on the difficult operation. It was particularly difficult to find Hannah, the daughter of tech billionaire Mike Lynch. "The girl was at the very back of the last room. She was small and hidden behind a mattress, so it took us longer to find her," explained the helper.

The Bayesian, whose value was estimated at around 30 million euros before the accident, is to be recovered from her damp grave at a depth of 56 meters, and the plans for this tricky and costly operation are to be finalized in the next few weeks. Buoyancy bodies or a crane are to be used. 

Seven fatalities
Seven people lost their lives in the accident. In addition to the billionaire Mike Lynch and his daughter Hannah Lynch, the fatalities also included the manager of the investment bank Morgan Stanley International, Jonathan Bloomer, his wife Anne Elizabeth, the lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Nada. Most of the ten-strong crew managed to escape from the ship, only the on-board chef Thomas Recaldo died.