Tragic yacht sinking sparks criminal probe and security alerts in Italy

In August, a tragic incident off the coast of Sicily claimed the lives of seven individuals, including British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, when his $40 million superyacht, the Bayesian, sank during a violent storm.

Specialist divers examining the wreck of the superyacht, have requested increased security to protect the vessel. They are concerned that sensitive data stored in its safes might attract the interest of foreign governments, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.  

Italian prosecutors have initiated a criminal investigation into several charges, including manslaughter and negligent shipwreck, suspecting that the 56-meter (184-foot) yacht, the Bayesian, may hold highly sensitive information related to various Western intelligence agencies, according to four sources familiar with the investigation and salvage efforts.   Lynch had connections with British, American, and other intelligence services through his various enterprises, including the cybersecurity firm he founded, Darktrace. That company was sold to the Chicago-based private equity firm Thoma Bravo in April.

Lynch, whose wife’s company Revtom Limited owned the yacht, also served as an advisor to British prime ministers David Cameron and Theresa May on science, technology, and cybersecurity during their administrations, as indicated by British government and public records from Darktrace.

The sunken yacht, resting on the seabed at a depth of approximately 50 meters (164 feet), is believed to contain watertight safes holding two super-encrypted hard drives with highly classified information, including passcodes and other sensitive data, according to an official involved in the salvage operation who requested anonymity. Specialist divers equipped with remote cameras have conducted thorough searches of the vessel.   Initially, local law enforcement was concerned that thieves might attempt to access the wreck to retrieve valuable items like jewelry still aboard the yacht, as noted by divers from the Fire Brigade.

However, their focus has shifted to the possibility that the wreck could attract interest from foreign governments, particularly Russia and China, as it is set to be raised in the coming weeks as part of the criminal investigation into the incident. They have requested enhanced security measures for the yacht, both above water and through underwater surveillance.   “A formal request for additional security for the wreckage has been approved and implemented until it can be recovered,” an official with the Sicilian civil protection authority, assisting with the investigation, confirmed.  

Lynch, his 18-year-old daughter Hannah, American attorney Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda, British banker Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy, along with the yacht's chef Recaldo Thomas, lost their lives when the vessel sank during a violent storm in the early morning hours.

By Naila Huseynova