Authorities in Italy have begun looking into whether the sinking of the luxury yacht Bayesian, which resulted in the deaths of seven people, including British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, constitutes manslaughter.

Prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio stated on Saturday that the inquiry does not currently target specific individuals but suggests it is “plausible” that manslaughter or negligence resulting in a shipwreck may have occurred.

The Bayesian sank near the Port of Porticello, close to Palermo, Sicily, after being caught in an unpredicted storm early Monday morning. While fifteen individuals, including Lynch’s wife and yacht owner Angela Bacares, were rescued from the sea, the situation led to tragedy.

In the ensuing days, rescue teams recovered the bodies of seven victims: Lynch, his 18-year-old daughter Hannah; American attorney Christopher Morvillo and his wife Neda; Morgan Stanley executive Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy; and Recaldo Thomas, the yacht’s chef. Notably, Lynch had just been acquitted in a U.S. fraud case, with Morvillo as one of his lawyers and Bloomer serving as a character witness.

Investigation Launched into Yacht’s Sinking

Authorities are set to retrieve the submerged yacht, which lies about 160 feet below the surface on its side.

“It is in the best interest of the ship’s owners and managers to recover it,” stated Cartosio, noting that the inquiry could potentially focus on an individual later on.

This tragedy has left naval experts baffled, as they believe the yacht should have been able to handle such a storm without sinking. No other vessels in the area reported damage from the weather conditions.

Survivors, including the yacht’s captain James Cutfield, have been questioned by authorities but have not yet spoken publicly. Prosecutor Raffaele Cammarano noted that Cutfield was “extremely cooperative” during questioning.

Giovanni Costantino, CEO of The Italian Sea Group, which owns Perini, stated to Reuters that “indescribable, unreasonable errors” by the crew—not flaws in the boat’s design—were to blame for the disaster.

Cammarano mentioned that many passengers might have been asleep when the storm struck, explaining why some were unable to escape. Most bodies were discovered on the left side of the vessel, likely where they sought air as it began to sink, according to Girolamo Bentivoglio Fiandra from Palermo’s Fire Brigade.

Contributing: Cybele Mayes-Osterman, YSL News; Reuters