Captain of a luxury yacht is being investigated for manslaughter following the death of the British tech mogul and six other people

The captain of the superyacht that sank in heavy weather off the coast of Italy last week, killing seven people, is currently being investigated by Italian prosecutors.

51-year-old New Zealander James Cutfield is being investigated for manslaughter and culpable shipwreck, Italian media reported on Monday.

He and 15 others survived the sinking of the Bayesian. British technology entrepreneur Mike Lynch, his daughter Hannah and five others died.

“The Bayesian was built to be able to sail at sea in any weather,” Franco Romani, a naval architect who was part of the team that designed the yacht, told La Stampa newspaper in an interview published on Monday. He added that the yacht could have taken on water through a side hatch left open.

Prosecutors said the event occurred “extremely quickly” and may have been a “downburst” – a localized, strong wind that originates from a thunderstorm and spreads rapidly after hitting the ground.

British technology entrepreneur and American among missing after yacht sinks off Italian coast, at least one person dies

Similar to U.S. law, the initiation of the investigation does not mean that Cutfield is guilty or that charges will be brought against him.

On Saturday, Attorney General Ambrogio Cartosio not only confirmed the launch of an investigation, but also said his team would examine all possible elements of responsibility, including those of the captain, the crew, those in charge of supervision and the manufacturer of the yacht.

Chairman of Morgan Stanley International, wife and four others still missing after luxury yacht sank off Sicily

Italian fire service divers work at the site of a shipwreck in Porticello, Sicily, southern Italy, Thursday, August 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Salvatore Cavalli)

The Bayesian was a 184-foot British-flagged luxury yacht that was classified as “unsinkable” by its builder, the Italian shipyard Perini Navi.

The crew survived the sinking, except for the cook. Six passengers were trapped in the hull.

This image taken on Sunday, August 18, 2024, shows the Bayesian (left) and the Duch sailboat Sir Robert Baden Powell anchored off the Sicilian village of Porticello, near Palermo in southern Italy. (Fabio La Bianca/Baia Santa Nicolicchia via AP)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Fox News Digital spoke to eSysman from the YouTube channel eSysman SuperYachtsto find out what might have gone wrong with the ship.

“Of course, the weather is taken into account when planning any trip. Wind, wave size and wave frequency are studied and precise weather forecasting has improved over the years, but is still not 100% accurate,” said the host, pointing out that the captain is ultimately responsible for the ship.

Bradford Betz of Fox News, Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.