14 minutes before it sinks – New Bayesian photo disproves disaster theory

The photo was taken from the yacht Sir Robert Baden Powell – the crew of this topsail schooner saved many people after the Bayesian sank in the floods in mid-August. The two-master, which had weathered the storm well, anchored only about 100 meters away from the luxury yacht.

There are no doors open in the photo
After the accident, it was suspected that the crew of the Bayesian may have left the large door on the aft port side open, which is why the 56 meter long ship sank so quickly. The photo, published in an ITV documentary broadcast on Thursday, disproves this theory.

The Bayesian “proof picture” can be seen in this post:

Karsten Borner, the captain of the Sir Baden Powell, is said to have taken the photo 14 minutes before the Bayesian sank. He told Der Spiegel magazine that he was disappointed by the shipyard’s repeated attempts to blame the crew for the accident. Perini Navi had marketed the Bayesian as ‘unsinkable’. His anger grew when the shipyard owner claimed the crew had left doors or hatches open.

Captain first thought: “Something that big doesn’t disappear in a minute.”
In the ITV documentary, Captain Borner also recalled the horrific moments when the megayacht sank during the floods. “My first mate said, ‘She’s gone, she’s sunk,’ and I laughed at him and said something that big doesn’t disappear in a minute. He was right,” said the ship’s captain.

Photos of the operation after the accident:

Difficult rescue: ‘Girl was hiding behind mattress’
Italian firefighter Fabio Paoletti, who dived for the bodies in the sunken ship, reported on the difficult operation. It was particularly difficult to find Hannah, the daughter of tech billionaire Mike Lynch. “The girl was in the back in the last room. It was small and hidden behind a mattress, so it took us more time to find it,” the helper explained.

The Bayesian, whose value before the accident was estimated at around 30 million euros, is expected to be recovered from its damp grave at a depth of 56 meters; plans for this difficult and costly operation are expected to be completed in the coming weeks. Floating bodies or a crane must be used.

Seven fatalities
Seven people were killed in the accident. In addition to billionaire Mike Lynch and his daughter Hannah Lynch, the manager of the investment bank Morgan Stanley International, Jonathan Bloomer, his wife Anne Elizabeth, the lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Nada were also among the dead. Most of the ten-man crew were able to escape from the ship, only the ship’s cook Thomas Recaldo died.