The salvage operation of a super yacht that sank off the coast of Sicily in 2024, resulting in the death of seven individuals including British tech mogul Mike Lynch, has been halted following the death of a Dutch diver, local media reported on Saturday.
The 39-year-old diver was part of a team tasked with retrieving the wreckage of the “Bayesian,” a 56-metre yacht that sank within minutes on the night of 19 August near Porticello, close to Palermo, after being hit by what was described as a mini-tornado. 15 people were rescued, but seven lost their lives.
Authorities have suspended operations as they await the results of the diver’s autopsy, and an investigation into the death, which occurred on Friday, has been opened by the public prosecutor, according to Italian media.
The diver was involved in efforts to cut and remove the yacht’s 75-metre mast, a preliminary step before the yacht itself could be recovered, as it rests on its side about 50 metres underwater.
In a statement released on Friday and quoted by the press, TMC Marine, the British company overseeing the operations, noted that “the circumstances of the accident are currently under investigation by authorities,” and that they are cooperating fully.
The salvage operations commenced last week, with Italian coastguards estimating the process would take approximately 25 days.
An investigation into the deaths of the four British victims is ongoing in Ipswich, England.
In Italy, the Termini Imerese public prosecutor’s office has launched inquiries into the captain and three other individuals for negligent homicide and shipwreck.
