More than a race against time, the search for the six missing people on the luxury yacht Bayesian, which sank due to a storm in the early hours of this morning, Monday 19 August, is increasingly resembling a long and complex operation that may not be immediate. As the hours pass, the suspicion grows that the bodies of the six missing people who are still missing may be hidden inside the vessel that sank off the coast of Santa Flavia in the Palermo area. In the meantime, specialized speleo-divers from the fire brigade have also intervened on site. The team arrived in Sicily from Sardinia and Rome: the helicopter they were travelling on landed directly in Porticello.
“The Bayesian sank at due to bad weather”
Camper & Nicholsons, the managers of the Bayesian, have meanwhile confirmed to the BBC that the yacht sank around 4:30 local time due to “bad weather”. The company said there were a total of 12 guests and 10 crew members on board. Fifteen people were rescued and so far only one confirmed death – the chef – and six missing who are believed to be in the cabin of the hull. In a statement it added: “The Italian Coast Guard is leading the search and rescue operation and has safely recovered 15 people. Efforts to locate the missing people continue. Our priority is to assist in the ongoing search and provide all necessary support to the rescued passengers and crew.”
The British-flagged luxury yacht was about 700 metres from the port of Porticello when it last reported its position. Voyage data from Marine Traffic shows it spent most of its time in the western Mediterranean. In the week before it sank, it had been sailing around northern Sicily and the Aeolian Islands.
Meanwhile, the UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch has sent a team of four inspectors to conduct a “preliminary assessment” into the sinking of the Bayesian, a government spokesperson said, according to the Telegraph. The Bayesian was registered in London and flew the ‘Red Ensign’, meaning UK authorities will be involved in the investigation into why the yacht sank, the British newspaper added. Four British citizens and two Americans are among those missing. Among them is tycoon Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter.
The Foreign Office in London, meanwhile, said it was “in contact with local authorities following the incident in Sicily: we stand ready to provide consular support to the British citizens concerned”.
Civil Protection: “The bodies are probably inside the vessel”
Meanwhile, Francesco Venuto, spokesperson for the Sicilian Civil Protection, told the BBC that “the bodies of the dispossessed should be inside the vessel. We searched all day with helicopters and ships and unfortunately we didn’t find anything – he added – and it’s strange: at this point we should have found something anyway”.
The President of the Sicilian Region Renato Schifani went in the afternoon to the ‘Di Cristina’ Children’s Hospital in Palermo to meet little Sophia and her parents James and Charlotte, three of the survivors of the tragic shipwreck that occurred at dawn off the coast of Palermo. “A moment of great emotion during which the President expressed his deep closeness for the tragedy experienced by the family, bringing a message of hope and solidarity”, reads a note from the Sicily Region.
“In the face of tragedies like this – Schifani emphasizes – we cannot remain indifferent. My thoughts go to all the people involved and their families, but today we are also here to testify that the solidarity and commitment of our health workers and Civil Protection volunteers are a precious resource for our community. The little girl is a survivor and represents a symbol of strength and hope”.
“We saved 15 people, then we didn’t see anyone else”
We heard screams and we searched the area with the tender for a long time, but after saving 15 people we didn’t see anyone else”. This is the story of Karsten Borner, the captain of the vessel Sir Robert B. P., flying the Dutch flag, the first to rescue the passengers and crew of the sailing boat Bayesan that sank in the roadstead in front of the port of Porticello.
“While there was a storm going on – continues Borner – we noticed that the boat next to ours launched the red signal flare, so I and the first officer immediately climbed onto the tender to help the passengers. We also rescued a small girl”. The Coast Guard units arrived immediately afterwards.
The others are still searching. Borner reconstructs what happened suddenly: “First the sailing ship tilted to one side and in a few minutes the boat sank, it all happened in a very short time.”
This article is originally published on today.it
