The first images of the British superyacht Bayesian have emerged showing the wreck in remarkable detail, just nine months after the vessel sank, killing seven people
For the first time since it sank last August, the British superyacht Bayesian has been captured in remarkable detail – 150 feet below the surface of the Mediterranean. Renowned photographer Massimo Sestini’s images show the gold lettering of the yacht’s name still proudly displayed on the submerged stern.
Despite just nine months underwater, nature has begun reclaiming the wreck. Seaweed is already colonising the once-pristine deck, while fish explore their new habitat.
The photographs come as investigations continue into how the “unsinkable” £30 million yacht went down so suddenly, tragically claiming seven lives – including British billionaire Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah.
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Fifteen people, including Mr Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, were rescued.
Sestini’s photos appear to challenge one early theory: the yacht’s stern hatch remains firmly closed, contradicting claims by shipbuilders that it was left open during the storm, allowing water to flood in.
The wreck lies largely intact on the seabed off the coast of Sicily as a £20 million salvage operation works to raise it. The Bayesian – known for its signature 236-foot mast, one of the tallest in the world—sank in just 16 minutes during a fierce storm with 100 mph winds while anchored near the fishing village of Porticello.
A recent interim report from British investigators highlighted “vulnerabilities” in the yacht’s stability, noting that crew members were unable to prevent the 184-foot luxury sailing vessel from violently tilting. Crucially, the captain and crew were reportedly unaware of these risks, as the necessary safety information was not included in the onboard safety booklet, according to the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB).
Tragedy struck again earlier this month when a Dutch diver working on the salvage operation died, marking the eighth fatality linked to the Bayesian. In response, all manned diving was temporarily suspended, and underwater exploration shifted to robotic systems.
Mr. Sestini described the conditions at the wreck site as treacherous. The great depth, limited sunlight, and swirling sediment reduced visibility to as little as one metre. “When I connected my camera to the computer and saw the images of the wreck on the screen, my heart sank,” the photographer said, recalling his own near-drowning while diving beneath a frozen Italian lake earlier this year.
Speaking to the Italian magazine Oggi, Sestini called the sinking “a great mystery“. “The wreck seems intact,” he said, noting that while initial reports blamed an open stern hatch for flooding, his photos show the door remains closed.
Shortly after the disaster on August 19, the CEO of Italian Sea Group – who acquired Bayesian’s builder Perini Navi two years prior – suggested human error was to blame, insisting the stern hatch had been “clearly” open.
The company has yet to comment on the MAIB’s ongoing investigation.
The yacht was legally owned by Mr. Lynch’s wife, Ms. Bacares, who survived the tragedy.
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.
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