A recovery operation for a superyacht that sank off the coast of Sicily a year ago was temporarily halted on Saturday after a specialist diver tragically died while working underwater, according to a spokesman for the company overseeing the recovery effort.
The luxury yacht, Bayesian, was submerged 49 meters (160 feet) underwater after a powerful storm struck in August, killing U.K. tech mogul Mike Lynch, his daughter, and five others. The storm caused the yacht to sink and it had remained at the bottom of the sea ever since.
“We are deeply saddened to confirm the tragic death of a specialist diver during underwater work earlier today (Friday),” said David Wilson, a spokesman for TMC Marine, the British-based company managing the operation, in an emailed statement.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident, and all parties involved are cooperating fully.
The Palermo Port Authority, which is leading the investigation, declined to provide details about the diver’s cause of death. Local media reported that the prosecutor’s office has sealed off the area where the Dutch diver, aged 39, lost his life.
Marine salvage teams began efforts to refloat the yacht in early May, bringing in one of the most powerful maritime cranes in Europe from Rotterdam. Part of the plan involved cutting the yacht’s 75-meter (246-foot) aluminum mast, the second tallest in the world, to make it easier to bring the hull to the surface. Initially, the recovery was expected to take 20 to 25 days, but with the recent developments, it remains uncertain when the operation will resume.
The salvage operation is being led by Dutch-based companies HEBO and SMIT Salvage, with support from Italian specialists.
The 56-meter (183-foot), 473-ton yacht sank due to what appears to have been a sudden downburst, a type of localized and powerful windstorm from a thunderstorm. Prosecutors are investigating the captain and two crew members for potential responsibility for the sinking.
In addition to Lynch and his daughter Hannah, others who died in the tragic sinking include Jonathan Bloomer, Chairman of Morgan Stanley International, his wife Judy, attorney Chris Morvillo, his wife Neda, and the ship’s cook, Recaldo Thomas.
