EXCLUSIVE Salvage operation of cursed Bayesian super yacht halted after diver, 39, is killed while horrified colleagues watch on CCTV
Investigators have halted the £20 million salvage operation of tech tycoon Mike Lynch’s doomed superyacht Bayesian after a diver involved was tragically killed.
Investigators have halted the £20 million salvage operation of tech tycoon Mike Lynch’s doomed superyacht Bayesian after a diver involved was tragically killed.
Rob Huijben, 39, died as he worked to remove a boom hinge from Bayesian’s trademark 237ft mast at a depth of 160ft as preparatory work for the lift began on Friday.
The incident was captured on CCTV by colleagues working on the surface in a support vessel and the Dutchman’s body was later recovered by a fellow diver and taken ashore.
Locals in Porticello near Palermo on the Italian island of Sicily were quick to say the Bayesian was ‘cursed’ pointing out it was now the eighth death connected to it.
The £30 million yacht went down last August after being hit by a freak storm and Mr Lynch drowned along with his daughter Hannah, 18, and five others.
Mr Huijben was part of the Dutch based SMIT salvage team and had only just arrived on site when the accident happened.
A local prosecutor in nearby Termini Imerese immediately ordered the operation to raise the 184ft Bayesian to stop, pending a full investigation into how the accident happened.
It had been hoped the lifting operation would begin next Sunday but because of the tragedy it has been halted, and it is not clear when it will resume.
Rob Huijben, 39, (pictured) died as he worked to remove a boom hinge from Bayesian’s trademark 237ft mast at a depth of 160ft as preparatory work for the lift began on Friday
The Bayesian sank on August 19 off the coast of Sicily amid severe stormy weather
Search teams leave for the wreck site of the Bayesian this morning
One of those involved in the salvage told a local newspaper: ’He and all the other divers are connected via audio and vision to the support vessel and then all of a sudden we couldn’t see or hear anything.’
Sources said he had initially tried to remove it with a monkey wrench but when that didn’t work, he used an underwater cutting torch.
Investigators are trying to establish whether there was an explosion from the torch after a build-up of gas or whether he was hit by a piece of the hinge as it came away.
Yesterday in a statement TMC Marine who are overseeing the operation said: ’On site work to recover the superyacht Bayesian from the seabed off the coast of northern Sicily has been temporarily suspended at this time.
‘This pause in activity is necessary for the investigations to be completed and to allow all salvage and associated teams to mourn the tragic loss of a highly respected salvage diver.’
Marcus Cave, TMC Director and Head of Naval Architecture, added:’(Friday’s) tragedy has been felt by all involved in this project, and the priority right now is the family of this expert, specialist diver, who was well liked and indeed loved by all involve in the project.
‘This pause in operations will enable thorough investigations to be completed into this tragic accident. It will also help us to mourn and regroup.
‘We are extremely saddened by (Friday’s) tragedy. Our thoughts are with everyone affected. Salvage operations at sea always carry an element of risk.
Pictured: Tech tycoon Mike Lynch, 59, and his daughter Hannah, 18, both from Suffolk, died after the vessel was hit by an over-sea tornado, known as a waterspout
‘The salvage team is providing full cooperation to the authorities in their investigations.’
Friday’s accident happened just a day after the huge HEBO Lift 10 crane – which can raise a load of 2,220 tonnes - had arrived on site and the team said ‘significant progress’ had been made in recent days.
With the help of support vessel HEBO Lift 2, slings will be put under the Bayesian and she will be rightened and then lifted out of the water by crane but the first part of the salvage was the removal of the mast.
Officials are keen to prevent any spillage from fuel still within the yacht’s tanks and booms have been set up to prevent any environmental impact.
Once out of the water the Bayesian will be taken to Termini Imerese where a special ‘cradle’ is being constructed, and she will be placed in it so she can be examined by prosecutors and technical experts.
An investigating source said they had hoped to have the Bayesian ‘in the cradle and dried out enough to inspect’ by the middle of June.
An inquest last month at Suffolk Coroners Court heard from Simon Graves, principal investigator for the UK’s Marine accident Investigation Branch.
They are involved as the Bayesian was UK registered, and the Italian authorities have started a parallel criminal probe.
Once out of the water the Bayesian will be taken to Termini Imerese where a special ‘cradle’ is being constructed, and she will be placed in it so she can be examined by prosecutors and technical experts
Porto Bagera, Porticello where the salvage operation of the Bayesian super yacht has been temporarily suspended following the death of the diver
The MAIB hoped to publish an interim report before the summer with a fuller report to follow.
The Bayesian went down after it was hit by a freak storm, but Italian officials are looking whether the ship’s captain and crew were partly to blame.
There has been speculation portholes and doors were open allowing water to flood in, and the keel had not been lowered, which could have prevented the capsizing.
Some area also pointing the blame at the Bayesian mast which will be cut in half in order to be examined before being brought to shore.
Bad weather had been expected but investigators are looking into whether the crew took proper precautions when the downburst hit sinking the yacht in 16 minutes.
However, the designers of the Bayesian – Italian Sea Group – have denied anything was wrong with the ship and insisted it was ‘unsinkable’.
A total of 22 people – 12 crew and ten guests – were aboard the Bayesian when she sank and among the survivors was Mr Lynch’s wife Angela Bacares.
Mr Lynch was onboard celebrating after a US jury cleared him of fraud and other charges that could have left in jail for 20 years.
Investigators have halted the £20 million salvage operation of tech tycoon Mike Lynch’s doomed superyacht Bayesian after a diver involved was tragically killed
A total of 22 people – 12 crew and ten guests – were aboard the Bayesian when she sank and among the survivors was Mr Lynch’s wife Angela Bacares
The founder of software and data Autonomy had been accused of selling the company for vastly inflated price of £8.3 billion to US company Hewlett Packard.
Other victims were Britons Jonathan Bloomer, 70, chairman of Morgan Stanley International bank and his wife Judy, 71, American lawyer Chris Morvillo, his wife Nada and the yacht’s chef Recaldo Thomas.
Bayesian skipper New Zealander James Cutfield, 51, and British duo, chief engineer Tim Parker Eaton, 59, and nightwatchman Matthew Griffin, 22, have all been placed under formal investigation in Italy for manslaughter and causing a disaster.