Alessandro Forcarini/AFPItalian authorities are broadening their investigation into the deaths of seven people on board the yacht Bayes, including two crew members and the captain, Italian news agencies reported.
On August 19, the British-flagged 56-meter (184-foot) yacht sank off the northern coast of Sicily, killing British technology entrepreneur Mike Lynch and six others.
Targets of the investigation are said to include ship engineer Tim Parker Eaton and sailor Matthew Griffiths.
Being investigated does not equate to being charged, but is a procedural step.
The vessel sank within minutes in a pre-dawn storm as the yacht anchored off the northern coast of Sicily.
It was reported on Monday that the yacht’s 51-year-old captain, New Zealander James Cutfield, was under investigation for manslaughter and causing the wreck.
He declined to answer prosecutors’ questions during Tuesday’s hearing.
One of the captain’s lawyers, Giovanni Rizzuti, later told reporters: “The captain exercised his right to remain silent for two fundamental reasons. First, he was very tired. Second, we were only appointed on Monday. , in order to make a thorough and correct defense, we need to obtain a set of data that we currently do not have.
PA averageIt is understood that Tim Parker-Eaton was responsible for ensuring the safety of the yacht’s engine room and operating systems, while Matthew Griffiths was on duty the night of the disaster.
The sinking baffled naval experts because they believed that a Bayesian-class yacht built by famed Italian yacht builder Perini should be able to withstand storms and certainly shouldn’t sink so quickly.
Vincenzo Pepe/Getty ImagesProsecutors in Termini Imerese, near Palermo, said their investigation would be lengthy and would require salvage of the wreckage.
Giovanni Costantino, the head of the company that built the Bayes, told the BBC he was convinced there was a series of errors on board.
“At the back of the boat, a hatch must have been open,” he said, “but there might have been a side door to let the water pour in.
“Before a storm approaches, the captain should close all openings, raise anchor, turn on the engine, tack into the wind and lower the keel.”
The keel is a large fin-like part of the boat that protrudes from the bottom.
“This will stabilize the vessel and they will be able to ride through the storm and continue to sail comfortably,” he said.
Currently, Bayes lies to its right at a depth of approximately 50 m (164 ft).
At the same time, the Italian Coast Guard has been conducting environmental monitoring activities at the sinking site to prevent possible hydrocarbon leaks from the hull.
The Coast Guard said in a statement on Wednesday that there was currently no leakage from the tank and no signs of oil contamination.
