Diver found bodies

Bayesian victims probably consoled themselves shortly before death

(Bild: picturedesk.com/Perini Navi Press Office Handout / Zuma)

A British documentary has revealed new details about the mysterious sinking of the luxury yacht Bayesian. One of the rescue divers who helped recover the bodies after the accident believes that many of the victims may have comforted each other before either drowning or suffocating in the water.

The documentary "The Sinking of a Superyacht", which was broadcast on the British television channel ITV on Thursday, has caused quite a stir. Many people who helped with the rescue and recovery of the victims have their say - and give an insight into what must have happened in the dramatic final moments of the fatal accident. 

"Rescuing a young person hits you hard"
The worst part of the operation was when the youngest victim, 18-year-old Hannah, daughter of tech billionaire Mike Lynch, was found. "When you have to rescue a child or a young person, it hits you harder than an adult," said the rescue diver. She was the only dead person to be found alone in a cabin. The other five people who drowned or suffocated were found together.

Hannah and her father Mike Lynch died on board the Bayesian - her mother was able to escape from the ship in time.

(Bild: APA/AFP)

The operation was also very emotionally demanding for the emergency services.

(Bild: APA/AFP )

Five dead bodies were found crammed into a single room
"The victims were found on the lower deck. We found the people in a single room," explained a diver. Considering the time of the sinking, they would certainly have been sleeping in their own cabins at the time of the accident, the helper assumes.

"The fact that they were found together means - this is just a theory - that they came together to find an escape route or to comfort each other," the diver suspects.  

One of the last images of the Bayesian at night

(Bild: AFP)

New photos of the mega yacht shortly before it sank seem to disprove a widespread theory about the accident - as reported by krone.at. This theory stated that the crew of the Bayesian had left a door open during the storm, allowing water to enter, which contributed to the rapid sinking of the 56-metre-long ship. 

Was downburst responsible for tragedy?
However, another possibility was presented in the explosive documentary. The sailing yacht could have been hit by a downburst, a heavy gust of wind that can occur during thunderstorms. A downburst can reach wind speeds of over 200 km/h and cause enormous damage.

Dr. Karsten Haustein, a climate researcher at the University of Leipzig, explained that people caught in a downburst do not have time to react due to the "sudden" nature of the event. This could explain why the ship sank so quickly. 

Seven fatalities, 15 survivors
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 were able to escape from the ship, only the ship's cook Thomas Recaldo died. 15 people on board the Bayesian survived the tragedy.