What Happened When theBayesianSank? New Details Emerge About How the ‘Unsinkable’ Yacht Capsized

Mar. 15, 2025

Bayesian, the superyacht, before it sank off the coast of Italy in August 2024.Photo:Vf/ROPI/ZUMA Press

Vf/ROPI/ZUMA Press

New details are emerging about what happened the night theBayesian, the supposedly “unsinkable” superyacht, capsized off the coast of Italy.

Seven people diedafter the British-flagged vessel sank after encountering severe weather while anchored near Sicily on Aug. 19.

It took about 16 minutes for the 184-foot superyacht to sink 100 feet below the surface, leaving six people trapped inside, according toImpact X Nightline’s Gone In 16 Minutes: Sinking of The Superyacht,which premiered Thursday, Nov. 14, exclusively on Hulu.

Investigators believe the yacht tipped backward into the water before tilting to the right and eventually going underwater.

The port in Sicily where Bayesian was anchored when the severe weather blew through on Aug. 19, 2024.ABC

ABC

The six victims — British tech entrepreneurMike Lynchand his daughter,Hannah Lynch; New York City lawyerChristopher Morvillo and his wife, Neda; and Morgan Stanley International chairmanJonathan Bloomer and his wife, Judy— did not survive.

Yacht chefRecaldo Thomasdied after the boat capsized, as well.

Initially, it was reported that a tornado may have impacted the boat. But investigators now believe a downburst with winds upwards of 60 mph triggered the sinking.

Downbursts are “strong localized downdrafts” that fan out on the Earth’s surface as “straight-line winds,” according to theNational Weather Service.

Elizabeth Smith of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said strong downbursts can cause significant damage and are “high-impact phenomena when they are strong.”

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The bodies of the six people who were found on the boat were found in cabins on the left side of the ship, according toImpact X Nightline. This side of the yacht was the closest to the surface and where air bubbles would have been concentrated.

Elizabeth Smith, PhD Research Meteorologist for NOAA , discusses downbursts on ‘IMPACT x Nightline: Gone in 16 Minutes: Sinking of the Superyacht.'.ABC

There are still many unknowns as the investigation into theBayesian’s sinking continues, including if the boat’s keel was in the proper position, which would have given it more wiggle room to tilt significantly during a high-wind event.

Additionally, investigators have not revealed if there were open doors and hatches on the boat, which likely would have allowed the boat to take on more water than expected, or if there was a black box onboard the vessel.

“TheBayesianaccident was a chain of unfortunate things that strung together,” Dan Leonard, co-founder and chief of design, Nuvolari Lenard said onImpact X Nightline. He compared it to an airline accident, adding, “It’s never because one screw fell off.”

Three crew members — the captain, machine engineer and a sailor who was on watch the night of the fatal incident — are still under investigation for manslaughter and culpable shipwreck, according to the program.

source: people.com