ROME -- The captain of the luxury Bayesian yacht, which sank off the coast of Palermo last Monday and killed seven people, has been formally placed under investigation after being questioned again by police to establish how the boat sank. An investigation into manslaughter and negligent shipwreck is continuing, Termini Imerese’s public prosecutor’s office has said.

 British entrepreneur Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah were among seven victims of the sinking, found last week by rescue divers after extensive search operations. The disaster also killed Morgan Stanley International Chair Jonathan Bloomer.

 James Cutfield, 51, was captaining the 56-metre long boat when it was hit by a waterspout and capsized. Having been questioned by police last week, Cutfield was interviewed again by police on Sunday to establish how the disaster unfolded.

 According to testimonies from survivors, as reported in Corriere della Sera on Sunday, no alert was raised over potential danger posed to the yacht by bad weather, with passengers unaware of the imminent risk. The only alert was an emergency alarm which sounded once the boat had already sunk.

 Police are investigating why only one crew member died, the chef Recaldo Thomas, but six passengers lost their lives, considering the hypothesis that the crew were aware of potential risk posed by the weather warning.

 Investigators are also keen to understand the positioning of the yacht’s keel and whether the side door was open or shut. If the door was open, it would explain why a boat considered to be unsinkable took in so much water when it capsized.

 Franco Romani, who works at the Italian naval company Perini Navi which constructed the yacht, believes the sinking could be the sign of negligence.

 “My personal interpretation is they left the door open,” he told Il Fatto Quotidiano. “If you close everything, the water doesn’t get in: in extreme conditions, the boat can roll around all it wants but it doesn’t sink.”

 Magistrates have also confirmed that autopsy examinations will be carried out on the victims this week. On Saturday, the British ambassador to Italy, Lord Ed Llewellyn, expressed his gratitude to rescue teams in a message published on X. 

 “My heartfelt thanks to the Italian authorities, to the search and rescue teams and to the divers, for their tireless work following the sinking of the yacht Bayesian.”

 “My thoughts are with all those who have lost their lives and their families.”

 bq