Yacht captain 'investigated for manslaughter' in probe

The captain of the Bayesian is being investigated for manslaughter and shipwreck, a judicial source has said, as the probe into the sinking of the superyacht in a storm off Sicily continues.

- TARA COBHAM

Italian prosecutors have placed James Cutfield under investigation over the deaths of British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and six other people, the official, who asked not to be named, told Reuters yesterday, confirming earlier reports by Italian media.

Being placed under investigation in Italy does not imply guilt and does not mean formal charges will necessarily follow. Notices to people under investigation need to be sent out before authorities can carry out the autopsies on the bodies of the dead.

The decision was made after Mr Cutfield, 51, was interrogated for the second time in a week on Sunday. The New Zealand national previously said of the storm: “We didn’t see it coming.”

It is still unclear whether other members of the crew or other people will be put under investigation along with the captain.

The British-flagged Bayesian, a 56m-long (184ft) yacht, was carrying 22 passengers and crew when it capsized and sank on 19 August within minutes of being hit by a pre-dawn storm while anchored near the Sicilian capital of Palermo.