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Manslaughter probe into Bayesian superyacht tragedy will review actions of captain and first officer and examine CCTV showing its last moments before it capsized

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The manslaughter investigation into the Bayesian superyacht tragedy will review the actions of the captain and first officer and examine CCTV showing the moments before the ship capsized. The local prosecutor has launched a probe into ‘multiple culpable homicides and shipwreck’, involving ‘unnamed persons’ according to reliable local media reports.Causing a shipwreck is a separate charge under the Italian penal code, with a maximum sentence of 12 years, while culpable homicide, roughly equivalent to the British offence of manslaughter, also carries a hefty prison term.As the captain of the stricken 56-metre long vessel, the actions of New Zealander James Cutfield, 51, will be examined by investigators. He has already been quizzed for more than two hours by prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio based in Termini Imerese, a few miles from Porticello, where the Bayesian went down shortly after 4am on Monday. As the captain of the stricken 56-metre long vessel, the actions of New Zealander James Cutfield, 51, will be examined by investigators Hannah Lynch with her father Mike Lynch. Both tragically died in the sinking of his superyacht  Banking boss Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy died in the disaster  Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda Morvillo are also among the dead  The body of chef Recaldo Thomas (pictured) was discovered on the day of the sinking Along with the key questions of how he and his crew handled the emergency when the boat was hit by a mini-tornado, the team will also want to know why all but one of the crew survived, while the six of the seven dead or missing were passengers.Yesterday it emerged that, far from going down in ‘sixty seconds’, as was first reported, but boat was apparently dragged at anchor for as long as 16 minutes while the drama continued.Fifteen people, nine of them crew, were able to escape the sinking vessel, many of them clambering inside an inflatable life raft, and fire a distress flare to summon help.Yet all the five bodies recovered from the vessel, which include that of owner, tech tycoon Mike Lynch, 59, appeared to have been trapped below decks, trying to escape and were not in their cabins, according to reports.A body believed to be that of Mr Lynch’s daughter Hannah, the sixth and final person missing, was recovered after she was found earlier today.Firefighter divers pulled the body from the water following the discovery inside her father’s Bayesian superyacht which had rested at a depth of 50 meters below the surface of the water on Monday when it capsized following a freak waterspout.Along with the father and daughter, also aboard was veteran businessman Jonathan Bloomer – the chairman of Morgan Stanley International bank and insurance firm Hiscox, and his wife Judy.The 70-year-old Briton was educated at Imperial College London and has previously served on a number of high profile company boards.He is said to be close friends with Dr Lynch and appeared at his US trial as a defence witness.There was also Chirs and Neda Morvillo. American Christopher Morvillo, a partner at the Clifford Chance law firm in New York, represented Dr Lynch in his US trial in San Francisco.He expressed his elation on LinkedIn after securing Dr Lynch and his colleague Stephen Chamberlain’s acquittal on fraud charges in June.Mr Morvillo wrote: ‘A huge thank you to my patient and incredible wife, Neda Morvillo, and my two strong, brilliant, and beautiful daughters, Sabrina Morvillo and Sophia Morvillo.’He hauntingly signed off the post: ‘And they all lived happily ever after.’He worked on the terrorist investigation into the 9/11 attacks.The manslaughter investigation is being led by Cartosio, head of the prosecutor’s office in the nearby town of Termini Imerese, with more details expected to be revealed at a press conference tomorrow morning.The Prosecutor’s Office are also reviewing the actions and decisions made by the Bayesian’s Captain Cutfield, and Matthew Griffith, 22, who is understood to be the first officer, according to Palermo Today.It has been reported that Mr Cutfield was quizzed ‘at length’ for at least two hours by the prosecution team.The news of the official investigation came after the boss of the boat-building firm which constructed the Bayesian claimed only ‘human error’ could have sent the ‘virtually unsinkable’ yacht beneath the waves.Giovanni Costantino, founder and CEO of The Italian Sea Group, parent company of Perini Navi which built the Bayesian, also questioned why it was not inside the safety of the harbour.’The passengers reported something absurd, that the storm came unexpectedly, suddenly,’ Mr Costantino told Italian daily, Corriere della Sera. ‘That is not true. Everything was predictable.’Mr Costantino said the Bayesian was ‘one of the safest boats in the world’ and was virtually ‘unsinkable’.’Ask yourself – why were none of the Porticello fishing boats out that night? A fisherman checks the conditions and a ship doesn’t? The storm was completely readable on all the weather maps. It was impossible not to know.’Mr Costantino said the strong winds had pushed the boat for four minutes in what he called ‘drifting’. He claimed the boat then rotated and had begun taking on water before it sank. Search teams leave for the wreck site of the Bayesian this morning  People have been anxiously waiting for news at the harbour in Porticello The Bayesian sank on August 19 off the coast of Sicily amid severe stormy weather Italian fire service divers speak on a rescue boat this morning Mike Lynch with his wife, Angela, who was the yacht’s registered owner Fire service dive team returns to port on the fourth day of the search and recovery operation A coastguard boat sits on the water close to the sinking site off the coast of Sicily this morning’It tilted 90 degrees for only one reason: because the water kept coming in,’ he said.’From the time it started coming in to the time it went down was sixteen minutes. Those who say it disappeared in a few seconds are speaking rubbish.’Mr Constantino said the crew should have closed all the doors and portholes and gathered all guests on deck in preparation for an emergency evacuation.’A Perini vessel survived Hurricane Katrina. You don’t think it could survive a tornado like this?’A press conference has been announced for tomorrow morning by the prosecutors’ office, at which more details are expected to be revealed.Investigators have been examining videos and photographs taken on the night of the storm showing the last minutes of the ship, as well as CCTV footage of the port.Italian news website Palermo Today said coastguard officials have visited all of the homes and public places with surveillance cameras pointed out to sea in the area.The Prosecutor’s Office are also closely reviewing the actions and decisions made by the Bayesian’s Captain Mr Cutfield and Matthew Griffith, 22, understood to be the first officer, according to Palermo Today.It has been reported that Mr Cutfield was quizzed ‘at length’ for at least two hours by the prosecution team.After the tragedy Mr Cutfield reportedly told Italian media: ‘We didn’t see it coming.’The captain’s brother Mark told the New Zealand Herald that his brother was a ‘very good sailor’ and was ‘very well respected’ in the Mediterranean.He said Mr Cutfield had been involved in building ships for 30 years in the Mediterranean, as well as racing 470s in his youth, before becoming the captain of luxury yachts eight years ago. He had reportedly been with a Turkish billionaire before working for Mr Lynch. Pictured is the doomed Bayesian superyacht before its downfall on Monday A dive team from the Italian Fire and Rescue Service leaving the site of the Bayesian on the fourth day of the search Leah Randall (pictured in black) was one of the surviving crew members  Katya Chicken, another surviving crew member, is pictured in Palermo on Monday While investigators probed the cause of the tragedy, are said to be focusing their investigation on the Bayesian’s skipper James Cutfield, they will also be interviewing the other crew members who were saved.Sources suggested they will be keen to hear first-hand accounts about how the tragedy unfolded to try and establish why yacht sank so fast in the freak weather conditions when it was anchored and so close to shore.The crew members who are expected to give statements include Irish citizen Sasha Murray, 29, who reportedly injured her right foot in the sinking.Sasha is the daughter of the late former Irish racing driver Fionn Murray, and is said to have worked in the yachting industry for around ten years since leaving school, although the job she did on Mr Lynch’s yacht has not been revealed.Local residents in Maugherow in County Sligo in north-west Ireland where she grew up described her this week as ‘outgoing’ and ‘very personable’.Dessie Carway, a neighbour who knows the family and runs the Sligo Sea Barn beachfront tourist accommodation in the Maugherow area, said: ‘She is a lovely girl.’Sasha’s father Fionn came second in the world championship of Formula Ford Racing at the Brands Hatch Festival in 1990, and went on to race across Europe.She was aged just three when her father was killed aged 33 along with her grandfather Holger Schiller died in a light aircraft crash after taking off from Strandhill Airport in County Sligo in 1998.The pair were said to be taking part in a treasure hunt when the plane suffered engine failure. Mr Carway said local people were relieved to hear that Sasha had escaped from the stricken yacht, sparing her mother Jessica, brother Kilian, 27, and grandmother Erika from the ordeal of losing her.He said: ‘They are good neighbours and a very respected family… She lost her father and grandfather on the same day so it is a great relief that her family don’t have to deal with any more tragedy… You’d imagine that a guardian angel somewhere was watching over her.’Local Independent councillor Marie Casserly said: ‘Thank God she is safe. The family has had so much tragedy that this is very welcome news that Sasha has survived.’Sasha’s grandparents Holger and Erika Schiller holidayed in Co Sligo in the 1970s and after falling in love with the place, moved from their home in Germany and bought and renovated Ardtarmon Castle, in north Sligo. Photograph of Hannah Lynch and the family’s dog ‘Faucet, which has been issued by her family Hannah was a pupil at Latymer Upper school in West London and had won a place at Oxford to study English Literature Dr Lynch with his wife Angela, who managed to escape from Monday’s disaster The Schiller family also run an estate agent’s, Schiller and Schiller. Other crew members who survived include French citizen Matthew Griffith, 22, and South African citizen Leo Eppel who is believed to be aged in his 20s and a keen surfer and skateboarder. Tributes paid to Hannah and Mike Lynch  Katya Lewis, Hannah’s friend: ‘The love Hannah had for everything she held dear was passionate and pure. She had a warm and beautiful soul. Being with Hannah made me feel whole and happy. She is the most special friend anyone could ask for and I will always love Hannah.’Jon Mitropoulos-Monk, Head of English, Latymer Upper School: ‘I’ve never taught someone who combined sky-high intellectual ability with warmth and enthusiasm in the way Hannah did. She lit up the classroom with her energy, passion for learning and sheer intelligence (though never with a hint of arrogance). One of the best English students in the country, she scored 100% in her English Literature GCSE. By age 16, she’d read Joyce, Faulkner and Nabokov. Beyond that, she devoured the writings of Angela Carter, Joseph Conrad and John Donne. She loved literature, learning and life. ‘She was so excited to start studying English at Oxford, a goal she had worked so hard towards. When she got her place, she sought out every single member of the Latymer Upper English Department to thank them individually and give them a hug! She achieved everything she did with extraordinary levels of grace and fortitude that few others can say they possess. I taught Hannah for four years. I will remember her for what she taught me: kindness, compassion and commitment.’Gracie Lea, Latymer classmate: ‘When I think of Hannah, I think of poetry, sunshine, and her beautiful eyes. She was easy to love: sincere, dedicated, fiercely intelligent and genuinely kind. I’ll always remember her smiling.’Patrick Jacob, family friend: ‘Hannah was charming and ferociously intelligent with an insatiable thirst for life and knowledge. She was also warm, loving and deeply considerate; remarkably for her age. I am 50 years older than her and in my life I have never met anybody like Hannah. We have lost one of our brightest stars whose future held so much promise. Her loss is unbearable.’Andrew Kanter, close friend and colleague: ‘Mike was the most brilliant mind and caring person I have ever known. Over nearly a quarter century I had the privilege of working beside someone unrivalled in their understanding of technology and business. There is simply no other UK technology entrepreneur of our generation who has had such an impact on so many people. His passion for life, knowledge and all those around him was instantly inspiring to everyone he met, and he will be sorely missed.’Sushovan Hussain, close friend and colleague: ‘My wife and I are utterly devastated by the deaths of so many of our dear friends. No words can express our sorrow. I have known Mike for over 40 years, since our school days, and for most of that time our lives have been inextricably linked. I was thrilled when he was acquitted and now his departure leaves an unfillable hole in my life. We have known Hannah since her birth, and for her to be taken on the precipice of her life is cruel beyond belief. Our hearts bleed for Angela & her remaining daughter. Steve was by my side for many years, and I had the honour of calling him, Jonathan, Judy and Chris my good friends. It is truly impossible to fathom how they can all be gone over such a short period. It is tragic beyond words.’ Myin Htun Kyaw, 39, who is from Myanmar was also reported to have been rescued, along with crew members Tus Koopmans from the Netherlands, and Eaton Parker. Their roles on the yacht are also not known.A spokesperson for the foreign ministry in the Netherlands did not refer to Mr Koopmans by name, but said a Dutch man had been rescued and was not in life-threatening condition.Leah Randall, 20, from South Africa and Katja Chicken, 22, from Germany who escaped from the yacht were reportedly working on board as hostesses, suggesting they had domestic roles in cleaning and serving guests, rather than operating the vessel.Since the tragedy, the pair are said to have been staying at the Domina Zagarella hotel in Santa Flavia, which was used as a base by emergency services during the search and recovery mission.The two were reported to be in a state of shock, and were tearful as they told Italian media: ‘We are alive by a miracle.’The ANSA news agency reported that one of the women spoke in a trembling voice as she said of their experience: ‘It was terrible.’Leah’s mother Heidi Randall told Sky News: ‘I’m beyond relieved that my daughter’s life was spared by the grace of God.’It doesn’t make it any easier living with heartache of those who have lost their lives or missing.’In a reference to the yacht’s chef Recaldo Thomas, a Canadian-Antiguan citizen who died in the tragedy, Heidi added: ‘My very deepest condolences to the chef’s family as they formed a great friendship.’Teenager Hannah Lynch’s family have said they are are ‘devastated and in shock’ and suffering ‘unspeakable grief’ after she and her tech tycoon father both died in the Bayesian yacht tragedy.The 18-year-old student, who had won a place to study English Literature at Oxford, was the sixth and final missing person after the £30million vessel sank on Monday during a vicious storm off the coast off Sicily.The family released heartbreaking new photos of Hannah and Mike together as they thanked the local emergency services.A spokesperson said: ‘The Lynch family is devastated, in shock and is being comforted and supported by family and friends. 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. ‘Their one request now is that their privacy be respected at this time of unspeakable grief.’Meanwhile, the teenager was hailed by a family friend as ‘one of our brightest stars whose future held so much promise’. And classmates at Latymer Upper School in West London described the teenager as ‘the most special friend anyone could ever ask for’ who possessed a ‘ferocious intelligence’. More tributes have also been paid to Dr Lynch, with one close friend and former colleague describing him as ‘the most brilliant mind and caring person I have ever known’.Among those paying tribute to Hannah was her friend Katya Lewis, who said: ‘The love Hannah had for everything she held dear was passionate and pure. She had a warm and beautiful soul. Being with Hannah made me feel whole and happy. She is the most special friend anyone could ask for and I will always love Hannah.’Gracie Lea, a Latymer classmate, said: ‘When I think of Hannah, I think of poetry, sunshine, and her beautiful eyes. She was easy to love: sincere, dedicated, fiercely intelligent and genuinely kind. I’ll always remember her smiling.’  Also joining the tributes was Jon Mitropoulos-Monk, Latymer’s Head of English, who described her as ‘one of the best English students in the country’ who ‘lit up the classroom with her energy, passion for learning and sheer intelligence’. A reverential silence descended among locals and journalists as the launch carrying Hannah’s body came slowly into the harbour.Last night tributes continued to be paid to for those who have been confirmed dead.The Bloomers’ now orphaned children released a heartbreaking statement in which they said the loss of their parents was an ‘an unimaginable grief to shoulder’.’Our parents were incredible people and an inspiration to many, but first and foremost they were focused on and loved their family and spending time with their new grandchildren.’Together for five decades, our only comfort is that they are still together now,’ they said.The chairman of children’s charity the NSPCC described Mr Bloomer, the former honorary treasurer of the organisation, as ‘a very kind individual’,Speaking about the Morgan Stanley International bank chairman and his wife, Neil Berkett said: ‘We remember Jonathan from his time with us as a very kind individual with a great sense of humour and Judy as formidable and passionate.’

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