Authorities are investigating the captain of a super yacht that sank in Sicily last week, killing seven people, including the yacht’s owner, British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch.
James Cutfield, 51, is under investigation for manslaughter and shipwreck, according to reports by local Italian news outlets. While formal charges haven’t been filed yet, investigators decided to scrutinize Cutfield after questioning him a second time in a week, according to Italian news agency Ansa .
The luxury yacht, named the Bayesian, was carrying 22 people when the incident occurred. Fifteen were rescued, but Lynch’s 18-year-old daughter, Hannah Lynch, along with Morgan Stanley International chairman Jonathan Bloomer, Jonathan’s wife Judith Bloomer, lawyer Christopher Morvillo, Christopher’s wife Neda Morvillo, and Recaldo Thomas, a chef on the Bayesian, tragically lost their lives. Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, survived the tragedy.
Authorities took several days to locate the bodies of the deceased, but confirmed that most of them were found in the same area of the ship, suggesting they were trapped, according to investigators.
Initial speculation attributed the shipwreck to a tornado striking the vessel. However, Termini Imerese prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio said that investigations indicate the accident happened rapidly after the yacht encountered a downburst, a powerful downdraft from a thunderstorm. It’s worth noting that a nearby sailboat remained largely unscathed by the same downburst.
“For me, it is probable that offenses were committed, that it could be a case of manslaughter, but we can only establish that if you give us the time to investigate,” Cartosio previously said.
It’s currently unknown if other crew members are also under investigation in connection with the incident.
Lynch was celebrating his acquittal from fraud charges with family and supporters when the tragedy struck.