Salvage operations to retreive the superyacht Bayesian have continued – the vessel belonging to billionaire tech tycoon Mike Lynch sank near Sicily in August last year
The first images of the superyacht belonging to the late tech tycoon Mike Lynch being brought to the surface have emerged. The main boom from the Bayesian was recovered from the sea bed along with its anchor following the tragic sinking of the vessel off the coast of Sicily, Italy, in August last year.
Mr Lynch, 59, and his daughter Hannah, 18, were among seven people who died when the 56-metre vessel sank. Fifteen people, including Mr Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, were rescued. Salvors used a diamond cutting wire on the boom, sail and furling gear near the mast and lifted them onto Hebo Lift 2, a multi-purpose floating barge equipped with diving and remotely-operated underwater vehicle systems as well as a support tug.
A remote-controlled submersible was then used to cut one of the vessel’s anchor chains, allowing it to be brought up. The pieces will be taken to the nearby town of Termini Imerese. Italian prosecutors investigating the sinking are based in the town.
More specialist equipment required for the eventual lifting of the Bayesian will be loaded onto the 5,695-gross-tonne Hebo Lift 10, said to be one of the most powerful maritime cranes in Europe. Salvage experts from Dutch firms Hebo and SMIT Salvage are increasing the use of remote-controlled tools after a diver died during underwater work on May 9.
More equipment and personnel are being sourced from across Europe, including an extra remote-controlled submersible. Meanwhile, progress has been made in securing the Bayesian’s tank vents and openings to reduce the chances of pollution during future operations. No pollution has been reported to date.
Work to position steel lifting slings and other lifting gear under the Bayesian has also begun. Once complete, salvage crews will begin detaching the vessel’s extensive rigging, 72-metre mast, spreaders, and remaining sails to allow the lift to proceed safely.
Marcus Cave of British firm TMC Marine, which is overseeing salvage efforts, said on Tuesday: “Over the past 10 days, the team has developed alternate methods to undertake certain tasks for this project. This will minimise diving activity and increase the use of equipment that is controlled directly from the floating work platforms. Whilst this change will increase the time it will take to complete this project; it will continue to prioritise the safety of those working on this complex lifting and recovery operation.”
About 70 specialist personnel had been mobilised to the fishing village Porticello from across Europe to work on the recovery operation, which began earlier this month. Inquest proceedings in the UK are looking at the deaths of Mr Lynch and his daughter, as well as Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer, 70, and his wife, Judy Bloomer, 71, who were all British nationals.
The others who died in the sinking were US lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda Morvillo, and Canadian-Antiguan national Recaldo Thomas, who was working as a chef on the vessel. Mr Lynch and his daughter were said to have lived in the vicinity of London and the Bloomers lived in Sevenoaks in Kent.
The tycoon founded software giant Autonomy in 1996 and was cleared in June last year of carrying out a massive fraud over the sale of the firm to Hewlett-Packard (HP) in 2011. The boat trip was a celebration of his acquittal in the case in the US.