Italian prosecutors have launched an investigation into James Cutfield, the captain of the superyacht that sank off Sicily last week during a storm, resulting in the death of British tech magnate Mike Lynch and six others, a judicial source confirmed on Monday. Cutfield, a 51-year-old New Zealander, is being investigated for manslaughter and shipwreck, though this does not imply guilt or guarantee formal charges.
The investigation follows a second interrogation of Cutfield. Italian authorities have yet to determine whether other crew members or individuals will also face scrutiny. The British-flagged yacht, Bayesian, carrying 22 people, capsized and sank within minutes after being struck by a pre-dawn storm while anchored off northern Sicily. Fifteen people survived, including Lynch’s wife, the owner of the yacht, while Lynch’s 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, was among the victims.
Ambrogio Cartosio, head of the Termini Imerese public prosecutor’s office, noted that while the yacht was hit by a sudden meteorological event, the possibility of multiple manslaughter and shipwreck due to negligence is being considered. Maritime law places full responsibility on the captain for the ship and its occupants. Neither Cutfield nor his surviving crew members have publicly commented on the incident.
Franco Romani, a nautical architect involved in the yacht’s design, mentioned in an interview that the Bayesian was built to withstand severe weather. He suggested the vessel might have taken on water from an open side hatch.
