In the wake of the tragic sinking of the Bayesian superyacht off the coast of Sicily, the vessel's captain, James Cutfield, has staunchly defended his actions, insisting that he did everything within his power to save his crew.
The New Zealand-born captain was one of the 22 individuals on board the Bayesian when a freak waterspout struck the vessel mere hundreds of meters from Porticello port in the early morning hours of August 19. While Cutfield and 14 others managed to evacuate the ship, seven people, including British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his daughter Hannah, tragically lost their lives.
According to the Daily Mail, Cutfield, along with two other crew members, is currently under investigation for manslaughter and culpable shipwreck. Despite this, the captain has maintained his innocence, with friends of Cutfield telling Italian outlet Corriere that he did everything possible to prevent the ship from sinking and save the passengers on board. They described the captain as living through "the darkest days of his life," grappling with the speculation that he could have been responsible for the deaths of those on board.
In the aftermath of the disaster, Cutfield departed Palermo on a private jet, heading for his home on the Spanish island of Mallorca. Despite losing his passport in the disaster, he was provided with a copy of the document by Italian officials, allowing him to leave the country. Alongside Cutfield, ship engineer Tim Parker-Eaton, 56, and crewmember Matthew Griffiths, 22, are also under investigation, though they are not currently facing any charges. As such, they are not obligated to remain in Italy but must appoint lawyers to ensure continued communication with the authorities.
The Bayesian, a 56-meter-long yacht flying the British flag, capsized and sank within minutes of being hit by the shocking pre-dawn storm while anchored close to the northern Sicilian coast. The ship's chef, Antiguan-Canadian Recaldo Thomas, Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer, his wife Judy, Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo, and his wife Neda also tragically lost their lives alongside the Lynches. The body of the chef was found floating in the water on the day the yacht went down, while the other bodies were discovered days later by specialist divers in two cabins inside the yacht.
The rapid sinking of the Bayesian has left naval marine experts puzzled. They argue that a vessel of its caliber, built by Italian high-end yacht manufacturer Perini, should have been able to withstand the storm and certainly should not have sunk as quickly as it did. Cutfield's lawyer, Aldo Mordiglia, told The Times that his client had chosen to remain silent, citing his shaken state and the need for his newly appointed lawyers to gather more information to defend him.
Speculation has arisen that crewmembers may have left a hatch or door open, leading to the flooding of the ship. However, Stephen Edwards, who captained the Bayesian from 2015 to 2020, assured that the hull would not have been left open at night. He emphasized that the vessel was sound and seaworthy by design and well-maintained, suggesting that the yacht's limitations may have been reached in the inclement weather conditions.
Edwards further explained that poor weather conditions could have created extreme circumstances that occur with very little warning and are difficult to prepare for, leaving a very short time for the crew to react. He noted that the Bayesian only had one shell door in the hull, which could only be opened in flat calm conditions, meaning it was certainly not open at night.
Mario Scopesi, the lawyer representing British crewmembers Parker-Eaton and Griffiths, confirmed that his clients had also left Sicily amid the ongoing investigation. He emphasized that they had been transparent and cooperative with the investigating authorities. Scopesi was appointed by Revtom, the company that owns the Bayesian superyacht and whose sole director is Mr. Lynch's wife Angela Bacares, who survived the disaster.
Scopesi stated that the weather would play a key part in any eventual trial and the role of both his clients would also be investigated. He added that the boat was in perfect condition and the crew were all experts. He expressed hope that both his clients would return to sailing as soon as possible but acknowledged that the investigation would take a long time, requiring major technical investigations to reconstruct this complex shipwreck. The next step, he said, would be the raising of the yacht, but that won't happen for a few months.
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