Two more crew members are being investigated over the sinking of the superyacht Bayesian

Two other crew members of the Bayesian are being investigated for manslaughter after seven people died last week when the superyacht sank in a storm off Sicily.

Judicial sources said on Wednesday that Italian prosecutors were investigating two other crew members and the captain in connection with the sinking of the ship after the British-flagged Bayesian capsized at anchor off the coast of northern Sicily on August 19.

British technology magnate Mike Lynch, his 19-year-old daughter Hannah Lynch and five other people died when their 56-metre-long yacht sank near the Sicilian capital of Palermo just minutes after the tornado struck at dawn.

On Monday, the boat’s captain, 51-year-old New Zealander James Cutfield, was investigated for manslaughter and shipwreck. An “exhausted” Cutfield refused to answer prosecutors’ statements when questioned for a third time the next day.

On Wednesday, it was revealed that ship’s engineer Tim Parker Eaton and deckhand Matthew Griffith are under investigation for the same crimes. The source said Parker Eaton is suspected of failing to protect the yacht’s engine room and operating systems while Griffith was on watch the night of the incident.

Being investigated does not mean that someone is guilty, nor does it mean that formal charges will be brought.

After Cutfield stopped answering the prosecutor’s questions, his lawyer Aldo Mordiglia said of his client: “He has just exercised his right to remain silent, probably the prosecutors expected this.” He continued: “First of all, he is very exhausted. Secondly, we were only appointed on Monday and in order to make a thorough and correct defense we need to obtain a series of data that are not available to us at the moment.”

The captain was among 15 passengers and crew who survived the tragedy. Speaking about the storm outside a hospital treating survivors the day after the disaster, he reportedly said: La Republic: “We didn’t see that coming.”

The sinking has puzzled marine experts, who said a ship like the Bayesian, built by Italian luxury yacht builder Perini and considered “unsinkable,” should have withstood the storm – and certainly should not have sunk so quickly. A nearby sailboat, meanwhile, was largely unscathed.

Prosecutors in the town of Termini Imerese, near Palermo, said the event was “extremely fast” and could have been a “downburst” – a localized, strong wind that originates from a thunderstorm and spreads rapidly after hitting the ground.

They added that their investigation would take some time and that the wreck of the Bayesian – which lies on its right side at a depth of about 50 metres – would need to be recovered from the sea.

Chief prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio, who is leading the investigation, said his team would examine every possible element of responsibility, including that of the captain, crew, those in charge of supervision and the manufacturer of the yacht.

Further information on this breaking news will follow…