The CEO of The Italian Sea Group, Giovanni Costantino, has attributed the sinking of the superyacht Bayesian, produced by his company, to a series of “indescribable, unreasonable errors” made by the crew, Fox Mews reports.
The 183-foot British-flagged vessel capsized and sank rapidly after being struck by a predawn storm while anchored, leading to a tragic loss of life.
In an interview, Costantino stated that the yacht took on water, although he deferred to investigators to determine the specific source. He said that the crew failed to adequately prepare for the storm, which had been included in shipping forecasts.
“This is the mistake that cries out for vengeance,” he remarked.
The incident occurred on Monday. 12 passengers and 10 crew members were onboard the yacht, built in 2008 by Perini Navi. It had undergone two refits, the most recent in 2020, but was not serviced by its original manufacturer. Costantino dismissed any suggestions that design or construction flaws contributed to the sinking, citing the vessel’s 16 years of trouble-free navigation, even in harsher weather.
Costantino described the crew’s “incredible mistake” as a failure to implement critical safety measures, such as calling passengers to a safety point and securing hatches before the storm hit. He argued that if proper procedures had been followed, the passengers could have returned to their cabins after an hour of preparation and continued their cruise the following day.
Among those lost at sea was billionaire tech mogul Mike Lynch, who was aboard the Bayesian celebrating his recent acquittal in a US fraud case. The search continues for the six missing people, including Lynch’s 18-year-old daughter Hannah, American lawyer Christopher Morvillo, and others linked to Lynch’s defense.
Divers are currently working to recover the remaining missing persons from the wreckage, now located 164 feet underwater. Although rescue efforts initially hoped to find survivors, authorities have stated that operations are now classified as recovery missions due to the lack of signs of life over the last three days.
A nearby sailboat managed to rescue 15 people, including a 1-year-old girl. The body of onboard chef Recaldo Thomas, an Antiguan citizen, has also been recovered.
Investigators are now focused on understanding the rapid sinking of the superyacht, according to the report.
