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yesterday

Salvage of Bayesian Superyacht Halted After Diver’s Death

A Dutch diver died during underwater preparations to recover the wreck of the Bayesian, leading to a suspension of the operation as investigations begin.

Deacon of the Church of England, Carrie Pemberton Ford, center, speaks, Sunday, May 4, 2025, after attending a Mass celebrated by Catholic priest, father Lorenzo Buscemi, second from right, in the Sicilian village of Porticello, southern Italy, for the victims of the British superyacht Bayesian which sank off Porticello, on Aug. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Salvatore Cavalli)
The floating crane ship HEBO LIFT 10, which will recover the "Bayesian" yacht of British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, is docked at the port of Termini Imerese ahead of the salvage operation off Porticello, near Palermo, Italy on May 3.
The multi-purpose floating work barge Hebo Lift 2 monitors the stretch of sea off Porticello, near Palermo, Sicily, Italy, Sunday, May 4, 2025, where the British superyacht Bayesian sunk on August 19, 2024 as the operations for its recovery start. (AP Photo/Salvatore Cavalli)

Overview

  • The recovery of the Bayesian superyacht, which sank in August 2024 off the coast of Sicily, has been paused following the death of a 39-year-old Dutch diver on May 9, 2025.
  • The diver was reportedly struck by debris while cutting the yacht’s boom, though investigations are also exploring equipment failure or a medical issue as potential causes.
  • The salvage operation, overseen by TMC Marine and Dutch firms Hebo Maritiemservice and Smit Salvage, was in its early stages and involved extensive underwater preparations.
  • The Bayesian, labeled 'unsinkable' by its builders, sank during a sudden storm, killing seven people, including British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his daughter Hannah.
  • Italian prosecutors have launched investigations into both the diver's death and the sinking, with the yacht’s raised hull considered critical evidence for ongoing inquiries.