An investigation is to be launched into the captain of the Bayesian superyacht that sank off the coast of Italy.
On August 19, the 160-foot luxury yacht, the Bayesian, was caught in a violent storm during the early morning hours.
The vessel, carrying 22 people, was struck by a sudden and powerful waterspout tornado, which caused it to capsize.
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Despite a swift rescue operation by the Italian Coast Guard and local authorities, only 15 people were saved.
Seven passengers tragically lost their lives in the disaster, including British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch and his teenage daughter Hannah.
Also sadly losing their lives were Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer, his wife Judy, Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo, his wife Neda, and the yacht's chef, Recaldo Thomas.
According to Reuters, Italian prosecutors have launched an investigation into 51-year-old New Zealand national James Cutfield, the captain of the yacht.
Cutfield is being investigated on charges of manslaughter and causing a shipwreck.
It is important to note that being placed under investigation in Italy does not imply guilt, nor does it mean that formal charges will necessarily follow. Under Italian law, notices must be sent to individuals under investigation before authorities can proceed with autopsies on the deceased.
The decision to investigate Cutfield came after a second round of questioning by authorities.
At this time, it remains unclear whether other crew members or individuals will also face investigation alongside the captain.
To date, neither Cutfield nor his eight surviving crew members have made any public comments regarding the incident.
In a related development, Franco Romani, a nautical architect who was involved in the design of the Bayesian, provided insights in an interview with La Stampa.
"The Bayesian was built to go to sea in any weather," Romani said.
He speculated that the yacht may have taken on water through a side hatch that had been left open.
During a press conference on Saturday, prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio provided an update, calling the event a "very serious tragedy," per PEOPLE.
"On the 22nd [of August] we recovered the body of Michael Lynch, and on the 23rd we recovered the body of his 18-year-old daughter.
"Michael Lynch's daughter is a young girl, who really affected everybody. It’s a very serious tragedy," Cartosio stated.
Cartosio also described the final moments of the passengers, suggesting they likely sought refuge in the cabins as the yacht went down.
"It was quite clear that people were trying to hide in the cabins. We found the first five bodies in the left-hand side cabins and the final body on the right-hand side. They were in the highest part of the ship, closer to the surface. The vessel had three cabins on each side," Cartosio explained.
He added that the five who sought shelter in the cabins on the left side of the yacht appeared to be "searching for air pockets."
