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The family of the chef who perished in the Bayesian superyacht tragedy off the Sicilian coast last year have voiced concerns regarding the crew’s handling of the severe storm that led to the vessel’s sinking.
Recaldo Thomas, 59, a cook, was among the seven individuals who died in the devastating incident last August aboard the opulent yacht owned by British tech magnate Mike Lynch, who also lost his life along with his 18-year-old daughter, Hannah.
Family Criticizes Crew Response in Superyacht Disaster
Mr. Thomas’s family articulated their unease on Thursday, citing a ‘series of failures’ in the crew’s actions during the storm, which ultimately caused the yacht to overturn and submerge.
‘They have serious concerns about a chain of errors apparently implicated in the causes of this tragedy – deficiencies in the design, safety certification, and seaworthiness of the Bayesian, as well as the actions by some of the crew in responding to a forecasted mesocyclone storm,’ stated lawyer James Healy-Pratt, representing Mr. Thomas’s family.
These statements follow an inquiry by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB), which revealed earlier this week that the crew of the ill-fated £30 million yacht were ‘unaware’ of its inherent ‘vulnerabilities.’
After reviewing the report, Mr. Thomas’s family expressed their belief that his death was ‘preventable.’
The family also condemned the Bayesian for being a design ‘outlier’ with its singular mast structure that ‘functioned like an airfoil under the storm conditions,’ the lawyer added.
The concerns raised by the family of the chef came after investigation by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) said the crew of the doomed yacht were ‘unaware’ of its ‘vulnerabilities’
Pictured: Salvage vessels Hebo 10 and Hebo 2 positioned off the coast of Porticello where the salvage operation has been temporarily suspended following the death of a diver last week
However, the preliminary report into the incident determined that these ‘vulnerabilities’ were ‘unknown to either the owner or the crew’ of the vessel, as they were not documented in the stability information booklet onboard.
The report further indicates that wind speeds of 73mph impacting the vessel’s beam would have ‘likely resulted in the vessel capsizing.’
Andrew Moll, Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents, commented: ‘The findings suggest that the extreme wind conditions encountered by the Bayesian were sufficient to cause the yacht to overturn.
‘Furthermore, once the yacht had tilted beyond a 70-degree angle, the situation became unrecoverable.’
Giovanni Costantino, CEO of The Italian Sea Group, the Bayesian’s builders, previously attributed the sinking to ‘human error’ and maintained that the yacht was ‘unsinkable’.
The comprehensive report presents a harrowing account of events, meticulously detailing the timeline of the tragedy as it unfolded off the coast near Porticello.
The MAIB has clarified that this is an interim report based on preliminary verified evidence.
The report’s release follows the suspension of the £20 million salvage operation of the doomed superyacht after a diver involved tragically lost his life the previous week.
The tragedy last August killed seven people including the owner of the superyacht British billionaire and tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his daughter Hannah
The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) said the £30m yacht was compromised when 80.6mph winds struck its beam, causing it to heel violently
An operation to float the Bayesian started in recent weeks
Rob Huijben, 39, died while working to detach a boom hinge from the Bayesian’s distinctive 237ft mast at a depth of 160ft in preparation for the lift last Friday.
The incident was recorded on CCTV by colleagues on a support vessel and the Dutchman’s body was later recovered by a fellow diver.
An autopsy revealed no signs of burns on the diver’s body; however, the death was consistent with an explosion possibly triggered when a cutting torch ignited pockets of hydrogen.
Timeline of the Bayesian Superyacht‘s Final Hours
On the night of August 18, the Bayesian anchored near the Sir Robert Baden Powell – the vessel that later rescued survivors – to seek refuge from the forecasted thunderstorm.
At 3:00 AM, the deckhand on duty reported wind speeds of 8 knots (9.2mph) while observing the approaching thunderclouds and lightning.
Less than an hour later, at 3:55 AM, the deckhand ‘videoed the approaching storm and posted it to their social media feed’ before securing hatches and cockpit windows.
Within minutes, wind speeds escalated to 30 knots (35mph), causing the Bayesian to list and drift from its anchor.
Around 4:00 AM, the deckhand alerted the skipper, and the crew initiated the generators to prepare the Bayesian for maneuvering; this action was undertaken as part of their efforts with the superyacht crisis management.
Meanwhile, a British mother and her partner brought their one-year-old daughter to the boat’s saloon.
Jonathan Bloomer, 70, and his wife Judy, 71, from Kent, were among the seven people who died when the 56 meter sailing boat sank
Hannah and Mike Lynch perished on the superyacht
Recaldo Thomas, the chef who would later perish, was securing culinary items in the galley and greeted the stewards with a ‘Good morning!’
The Capsizing of the Luxury Yacht
As the skipper prepared to maneuver, the wind intensified dramatically, exceeding 70 knots (80.5mph), and tore away the awning.
The Bayesian experienced an abrupt and severe heeling at 4:06 AM, tilting to a 90-degree angle in under 15 seconds.
This sudden movement sent people and furniture hurtling across the deck, injuring five people, including the captain, while a deckhand was thrown into the sea.
Two guests trapped in their cabin fashioned an improvised ladder out of furniture drawers to escape into the saloon.
The report stated that there was no sign of flooding until water flowed over the starboard rails and entered the cabins down the stairwells, which highlights the sudden escalation during this superyacht crisis.
The yacht’s crew managed to help four guests through the cascading water to the skipper on the flying bridge.
The Chief Officer, swept to the back of the saloon, dove down to open the sliding doors and swim clear of the vessel.
The captain instructed the escaping guests and crew to swim away from the mast and boom as the vessel sank.
In the water, a deckhand created a makeshift tourniquet for a guest’s wounded arm, while a baby was kept afloat using a cushion.
- Survivors clung to floating cushions in the darkness.
- A guest searched for others using their phone’s torch.
- The captain and chief officer freed the life raft.
By 4:24 AM, survivors were inside the inflated life raft where the crew administered first aid.
Desperate to alert the nearby Sir Robert Baden Powell, the chief engineer launched several flares, which were spotted at 4:43 AM.
The Sir Robert Baden Powell’s skipper dispatched its tender to rescue the 15 survivors; despite searching, no other survivors were found.
The bodies were later recovered after an extensive five-day search of the seabed wreck.