Key questions about sinking of the ‘unsinkable’ Bayesian
Investigators examining the sinking of the luxury yacht Bayesian off the coast of Sicily are now facing a number of key questions.
In a press conference at Termini Imerese’s court yesterday, Italian prosecutors announced a manslaughter and negligent shipwreck investigation over the deaths of seven people in the Bayesian superyacht disaster.
The following are the key issues the inquiry will look into.
● Why weren’t passengers who remained on board warned about escaping from the yacht?
The prosecutor in the case, Raffaele Cammarano, suggested some passengers may have been asleep when others were awake.
Asked why they were not woken up or alerted, he said that is something investigators are trying to work out from the statements of the survivors. He called it an “essential” part of the inquiry, according to a translation from the BBC.
● Why were several of the passengers in one cabin?
Mr Cammarano said investigators do not yet know the reason for them being discovered in the same cabin. Chief of the Palermo fire service, Bentivoglio Fiandra, said the yacht pinned to the right and suggested people tried to go on the other side, taking refuge in cabins in the higher part of the wreck.
● Why did the boat sink?
The vessel had been deemed “unsinkable” by its manufacturer — Italian shipyard Perini Navi.
The Bayesian was hit by a ‘downburst’, Mr Cammarano said, strong winds that descend from a thunderstorm and spread on hitting the ground. Officials will look into the safety equipment on board.
Mr Cammarano was asked whether there is a black box and if the hatches were left open. He said investigators do not have exact information about the black box and that the first phase of the inquiry will look into it.
● Why were nearby vessels not similarly affected?
Another yacht, the Sir Robert BP, was about 150 to 200 metres from the Bayesian when extreme weather hit. Its crew helped to rescue 15 people from the stricken vessel.
Italian officials said they would be looking at how the downburst could affect one vehicle and not other nearby vessels.
● What weather warnings was the Bayesian alerted to?
Maritime director of western Sicily Rear Admiral Raffaele Macauda said there were forecasts of winds and a storm alert, but no warning of a tornado. “There are vessels that can monitor, after all, these events and one would have thought the captain had taken precautions,” he said.