Captain of Doomed Bayesian Superyacht Investigated for Manslaughter After Tragedy Kills 7″

Investigation Launched Into Captain

Pros­e­cu­tors in Italy have launched an offi­cial inves­ti­ga­tion into the cap­tain of the £30million Bayesian supery­acht, which sank off Sici­ly last week, killing British tech bil­lion­aire Mike Lynch, his daugh­ter, and five others.

Cap­tain James Cut­field, a 51-year-old New Zealan­der, is being inves­ti­gat­ed for manslaugh­ter and shipwreck.

Questioning of the Captain

Mag­is­trates spoke to Cut­field for the sec­ond time in a week, ques­tion­ing him for more than two hours. Pros­e­cu­tors may also inves­ti­gate a crew mem­ber who was on duty when the storm hit and sur­vived the incident.

Potential Charges

While being placed under inves­ti­ga­tion in Italy does not imply guilt, pros­e­cu­tors sug­gest that crimes of mul­ti­ple manslaugh­ter and caus­ing a ship­wreck through neg­li­gence may have been com­mit­ted. They have not ruled out homi­cide charges.

Responsibility of the Captain

Mar­itime law gives a cap­tain full respon­si­bil­i­ty for the ship, the crew, and the safe­ty of all aboard. Pros­e­cu­tors are exam­in­ing the actions and deci­sions made by the cap­tain and crew dur­ing the disaster.

Search and Recovery Efforts

The vic­tims’ bod­ies were trag­i­cal­ly found in “tight spots” with fur­ni­ture on top of them, and it took dive teams over 120 trips to recov­er all the remains from the wreck on the seabed, 50 meters below the surface.