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A diver who was working on preliminary operations to raise the late tech tycoon Mike Lynch’s sunken superyacht, Bayesian, has died during underwater work in Sicily.
The 39-year-old Dutch diver died on Friday while working underwater in preparation to cut the ship’s mainmast.
According to initial reports, the man was employed by the maritime company Hebo, whose barge arrived last week in Porticello, a fishing port near Palermo, where marine salvage experts have been carrying out preparatory work before an operation to raise the 56-metre superyacht.
Police said the precise cause of death was still unknown. A preliminary examination of the body revealed no visible injuries or burns. Investigators believe the diver may have suffered a medical problem while submerged.
An alternative line of inquiry is that after divers used a blowtorch to cut the vessel’s boom the man was struck by dislodged debris – possibly a piece of metal. Footage captured by underwater cameras cut off shortly before the incident.
A spokesperson for the British-based consultancy TMC Marine, which will oversee a consortium of expert salvage specialists undertaking the project, said: “We are saddened to confirm the tragic death of a specialist diver while doing underwater work earlier today [Friday]. The circumstances of the accident are being investigated by the authorities and all parties are offering their full cooperation. We are giving every support to the salvage team on site at this heartbreaking time and our thoughts are with the family of the deceased.”
On 19 August 2024, the luxury vessel, with a 75-metre (246ft) mast, was anchored just off shore near Porticello when it was struck shortly before dawn by a violent storm. Lynch, once described as Britain’s Bill Gates, and his 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, were among the seven victims.
Lynch, who in June last year was cleared of fraud charges in the US relating to the purchase of his company, Autonomy, by Hewlett-Packard in 2011, was enjoying a lavish voyage around Sicily to celebrate his acquittal alongside Hannah and his wife, Angela Bacares, whose company owned the Bayesian.
Among those onboard were Lynch’s attorney from Clifford Chance, Chris Morvillo, and his wife, the jewellery designer Neda Morvillo, and Morgan Stanley International’s chair, Jonathan Bloomer, and his wife, Judy Bloomer, a former psychotherapist. All four died in the incident. The yacht’s chef, Recaldo Thomas, was the seventh person who died.
Fifteen people survived, including Bacares.
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The wreckage sits at a depth of 50 metres in the bay of Porticello, which is under surveillance by Italian authorities.
Insurers estimate the salvage will cost about $30m (£23m), a bill the Bayesian’s underwriters will pick up.
The Italian coastguard, which is supervising operations and patrolling the security perimeter, said the overall operation to recover the Bayesian could take from 20 to 25 days, weather permitting.
