Diver dies working on tycoon’s sunken superyacht

A diver has died throughout preliminary operations to get well British tech tycoon Mike Lynch’s superyacht from the waters off the coast of northern Sicily, native police stated.

The accident occurred on Friday whereas the diver was underwater in Porticello, police stated, including the exact explanation for loss of life was nonetheless unknown.

In line with native Italian media, the diver was a 39-year-old Dutch nationwide who labored for a specialist salvage firm.

It comes as salvage ships arrived earlier this month to waters off the small port of Porticello, close to Palermo, the place the Bayesian vessel sank throughout freak climate final August.

Seven of the 22 folks onboard the Bayesian last summer had been killed, including Mr Lynch, 59, and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah.

Morgan Stanley Worldwide financial institution chairman Jonathan Bloomer, 70, and his spouse, Judy, 71, US lawyer Chris Morvillo, his spouse Neda Morvillo and the yacht’s chef Recaldo Thomas, who was originally from Antigua, additionally died within the sinking on 19 August.

Fifteen folks managed to flee on a lifeboat together with a one-year-old and Mr Lynch’s spouse Angela Bacares.

The reason for the sinking remains to be below investigation with naval consultants saying a yacht of Bayesian’s calibre ought to have been in a position to face up to the storm and actually shouldn’t have sunk as quickly because it did.

The salvage operation is being overseen by British marine consultancy TMC Marine and led by Dutch-based corporations Hebo, a maritime providers firm from Rotterdam, and SMIT Salvage, with help from Italian specialists.

About 70 specialist personnel have been deployed to Sicily from throughout Europe to work on the restoration operation.

On Thursday, the group stated on-site preparations had been on schedule and “important progress” had been revamped the previous 5 days.

Evaluation of the yacht and the encompassing seabed confirmed there had been no change to its situation for the reason that final inspection, that means plans to boost the vessel can now go forward.

Work to maneuver the Bayesian into an upright place and carry it to the floor was scheduled to start later this month – topic to acceptable climate and sea circumstances.

Earlier than the vessel is transported to port, sea water can be pumped out of it.

Earlier than the Bayesian is raised will probably be held in place by metal slings, as salvage staff detach the vessel’s in depth rigging and 72m (236ft) mast, considered one of many tallest on the earth.

These will then be saved on the seabed and recovered after the group has recovered the ship’s hull, which investigators say is a main supply of proof.

There has not been any air pollution from the yacht reported, with circumstances being monitored and efforts made to safe its tank vents and openings.

Inquest proceedings in the UK are looking at the deaths of Mr Lynch and his daughter, as Mr and Mrs Bloomer, who had been all British nationals.

Mr Lynch and his daughter had been stated to have lived within the neighborhood of London, and the Bloomers lived in Sevenoaks in Kent.

The tycoon based software program big Autonomy in 1996 and was cleared in June final 12 months of finishing up a large fraud over the sale of the agency to Hewlett-Packard (HP) in 2011.

The boat journey was a celebration of his acquittal within the case within the US.