British superyacht Bayesian resurfaces for 1st time since August sinking ahead of recovery

ROME (AP) – The British superyacht that sank off Sicily last August killing seven people resurfaced for the first time Friday as salvage recovery crews readied it to be hauled ashore for further investigation.

The white top and blue hull of the 56-meter (184-foot) Bayesian emerged from the depths of the sea in a holding area of a yellow floating crane barge. The coast guard said the actual recovery was scheduled to begin Saturday morning.

A spokesman for TMC Maritime, which is conducting the recovery operation, said the vessel has been slowly raised from the seabed, 50 meters (165-feet) down, over the past three days to allow the steel lifting straps, slings and harnesses to be secured under the keel.

What became visible for the first time Friday on the surface of the water was the top of the passenger area of the Bayesian where passengers would sit, known as the accommodation area, said a spokesman for TMC Maritime, David Wilson.

The British-flagged luxury superyacht sank Aug. 19 off Porticello near Palermo during a violent storm, killing U.K. tech magnate Mike Lynch, his daughter and five others. Fifteen people survived, including the captain and all crew members except the chef.

Italian authorities are conducting a full criminal investigation.

When it resurfaced, the Bayesian was missing its 72-meter (236-foot) mast, which was cut down and left on the seabed for future removal. The mast had to be detached to allow the hull to be brought to a nearly upright position that would allow the craft to be surfaced, TMC Maritime said earlier this week.

British investigators said in an interim report issued last month that the yacht was knocked over by “extreme wind” and couldn’t recover. The report stated that the Bayesian had chosen the site where it sank as shelter from forecast thunderstorms. Wind speeds exceeded 70 knots (81 mph) at the time of the sinking and “violently” knocked the vessel over to a 90-degree angle in under 15 seconds.

Lynch had been celebrating his recent acquittal on fraud charges with his family and the people who had defended him at trial.