New Details About Bayesian Sinking

On August 19, 2024, the superyacht Bayesian tragically sank off the coast of Sicily during severe weather, leading to the deaths of seven people, including British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter, Hannah. The luxury yacht, which was 56 meters long and managed by Camper & Nicholsons, encountered a violent storm near the port of Porticello. 

The vessel sank within minutes (12 to 16 minutes according to observers), leaving many unanswered questions about the exact cause of the disaster. The yacht had 22 people onboard—12 passengers and 10 crew members. Of those, 15 people were rescued, including the captain, but the remaining seven, including high-profile individuals such as Lynch, Jonathan Bloomer (former chairman of Morgan Stanley International), and their families, perished. 

The Italian Coast Guard and other emergency responders were quick to launch search-and-rescue operations, using divers and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) to locate bodies and recover critical evidence from the wreck.

Autopsy reports indicated that the victims likely died of suffocation rather than drowning, as some had been trapped in air pockets within the yacht. There were no signs of trauma, and no water was found in their lungs, suggesting they ran out of oxygen before help could arrive. Investigators are continuing to piece together what went wrong, with early findings suggesting downflooding when the boat heeled 45-degrees to starboard.

Encrypted Hard Drives in a Safe
One of the intriguing aspects of this incident involves encrypted hard drives reportedly onboard the Bayesian, containing sensitive data from Lynch's work with intelligence agencies like MI5 and the NSA. This has raised concerns that these drives might now be targeted by foreign spy agencies. Divers are still working to recover these hard dries, and the vessel’s location is said to be under guard.