Sicily yacht tragedy: Last missing person recovered, authorities exploring manslaughter charges

A four-day search operation for missing individuals in the aftermath of the tragic sinking of the superyacht Bayesian off the coast of Sicily came to an end on Friday (Aug 23) with the recovery of the last unaccounted-for body.

The body of 18-year-old Hannah, daughter of British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, was recovered by the Italian coastguard.

Seven people, including Lynch himself, died in the tragedy that happened Monday (Aug 19) as a pre-dawn storm hit Palermo. Fifteen people survived the tragedy, including Mike Lynch’s wife and the ship’s captain.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the family said they were devastated by the unfortunate incident. “Their thoughts are with everyone affected by the tragedy. They would like to sincerely thank the Italian coastguard, emergency services and all those who helped in the rescue,” the statement said.

It added, “Their one request now is that their privacy be respected at this time of unspeakable grief.”

Italian prosecutors exploring manslaughter charges

Now, Italian prosecutors are exploring manslaughter charges in the yacht sinking tragedy. They are looking into potential human error that may have caused the incident.

Notably, Giovanni Costantino, CEO of the Italian Sea Group, which owns Perini, was earlier quoted as saying by Reuters that “indescribable, unreasonable errors” by crew members may have caused the ship to sink.

Watch:Drought-hit Sicily faces major challenge

As of now, the government has placed nobody under formal investigation and none of the survivors havereleased any public statement.

Previously, five passengers who died in the tragedy were recovered on Wednesday and Thursday. The body of chef Recaldo Thomas, the only crew member to have died, was found on Monday.

The tragedy has baffled experts who believe the luxurious yacht should have survived the massive storm and should not have sunk that quickly. Investigators are now expected to ask questions from survivors, crew members and the captain to ascertain what exactly transpired on board. They will hold a press conference on Saturday (Aug 24).

(With inputs from agencies)