Bayesian yacht sinking latest: Mike Lynch inquest to open as last photo shows boat 14 minutes before disaster

Captain of nearby boat recalls seeing ‘big, black triangle’ going down in lightning

Captain of neighbouring ship describes moment Bayesian sank

The inquests into the deaths of Mike Lynch, his daughter and two friends are set to open this morning, over a month after their tragic deaths when the tycoon’s superyacht Bayesian sank on 19 August.

British technology tycoon Mike Lynch, 59, died in the freak storm off the coast of the Italian island, along with his 18-year-old daughter Hannah, four other passengers and the vessel’s chef.

Inquests into the deaths of Dr Lynch, Hannah, Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer, 70, and his 71-year-old wife Judy Bloomer are set to open at Suffolk Coroner’s Court on Friday morning.

In a new ITV documentary, a photograph of the Bayesian, which was taken by a passenger onboard a neighbouring yacht 14 minutes before the disaster, was revealed.

It appears to show a door in the superyacht’s hull was closed, contradicting allegations crew mistakenly left it open and enabled water to flood the 56-metre yacht.

The captain of a boat near the Bayesian has described the terrifying moment he believes he saw the superyacht sink in Sicily.

In a new ITV documentary airing tonight, Karsten Borner, captain of the Sir Robert Baden Powell, said: “In the lightning, I saw a big, black triangle – and this might have been the moment when the ship sank ... We were looking at the radars and she was gone.”

Key Points

• Captain of ship near Bayesian describes terrifying moment boat sunk
• Rescue diver discloses why Hannah Lynch’s body was found last
• New documentary on Bayesian disaster begins on ITV
• Chilling final picture of Bayesian superyacht reveals key clues

[4 October 2024 08:24 · Holly Evans]

Inquests to be held in Suffolk

The inquests of tech tycoon Mike Lynch, his daughter Hannah Lynch, 18, Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer, 70, and his 71-year-old wife Judy Bloomer, are due to be opened today in Ipswich, Suffolk.

Coroner’s service listings indicate that Dr Lynch and his daughter both lived in London, while the Bloomers lived in Sevenoaks in Kent, and all four died on August 19.

Suffolk’s senior coroner Nigel Parsley is due to preside over Friday’s hearings.

[4 October 2024 07:00 · Tara Cobham]

Inquests into deaths of Mike Lynch, daughter Hannah and Bloomers open today

The inquests into the deaths of British tech tycoon Mike Lynch, 59 and his 18-year-old daughter are set to open at Suffolk Coroner’s Court today.

The inquests into the deaths of Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer, 70, and his 71-year-old wife Judy Bloomer are also due to open at the court in Ipswich at 10am.

The inquests into the deaths of British tech tycoon Mike Lynch, 59 and his 18-year-old daughter are set to open at Suffolk Coroner’s Court today (Tancredi)

The inquests into the deaths of Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer, 70, and his 71-year-old wife Judy Bloomer are also due to open at the court in Ipswich at 10am (Family Handout/PA)

[4 October 2024 05:00 · Tara Cobham]

Watch: Haunting final moments of Bayesian ship revealed

[4 October 2024 02:00 · Tara Cobham]

Recap: Mike Lynch ‘likely died of suffocation’ after running out of oxygen on sunken yacht

British tech tycoon Mike Lynch is likely to have died of suffocation after running out of oxygen, according to a source close to the investigation.

They cited initial examinations carried out in September after the businessman’s body was recovered from the family yacht that sank off Sicily’s coast the previous month during a freak weather incident.

Mr Lynch died alongside his 18-year-old daughter, the boat’s chef and four others, who were onboard the British-flagged superyacht Bayesian to celebrate his recent acquittal after a lengthy decade-long legal battle.

The inquests into his death and three others’ opens on Friday.

My colleague Holly Evans reported:

[4 October 2024 00:00 · Tara Cobham]

Watch: Captain of neighbouring ship describes moment Bayesian sank

[3 October 2024 23:00 · Tara Cobham]

Watch: Moment Bayesian yacht launched distress signal caught on CCTV

[3 October 2024 22:04 · Tara Cobham]

Rescue diver discloses why Hannah Lynch’s body was found last

A rescue diver has disclosed the reason why Hannah Lynch’s body was the last to be found.

Speaking on a new ITV documentary, he said: “Because the girl was small, petite, her body was hidden behind mattresses, so it took longer to find her.”

He said the discovery of the 18-year-old’s body was a particularly devastating moment for those involved in the search.

Hannah Lynch, aged 18, was set to go to Oxford University following the trip on the luxury yacht Bayesian (Family Handout/PA Wire)

[3 October 2024 21:58 · Tara Cobham]

Bayesian drifted 400 metres when freak storm struck, reveals tracking data

The Bayesian drifted as far as 400 metres when the freak storm struck the superyacht off the coast off Sicily.

Tracking data from the Italian coastguard showed the vessel drifted 400 metres in the early hours of 19 August.

Just 16 minutes after the storm hit, the boat sank, accroding to a new ITV documentary on the tragedy.

[3 October 2024 21:43 · Tara Cobham]

‘It was so full of water that it was difficult to breathe’: Captain of nearby boat tells of fatal storm

The captain of a ship near the Bayesian has described the fatal storm in which the superyacht sank as “so full of water that it was difficult to breathe”.

Karsten Borner, captain of the Sir Robert Baden Powell, has been recounting the ordeal in a new ITV documentary airing tonight.

[3 October 2024 21:31 · Tara Cobham]

Captain of ship near Bayesian describes terrifying moment boat sunk

The captain of a ship near the Bayesian has described the terrifying moment he believes he saw the superyacht sink in Sicily.

In a new ITV documentary airing tonight, Karsten Borner, captain of the Sir Robert Baden Powell, said: “In the lightning, I saw a big, black triangle – and this might have been the moment when the ship sank ... We were looking at the radars and she was gone.”

The programme also recounted how Dr Lynch’s wife Angela Bacares described her ordeal as “terrifying” to local media after managing to survive the sinking.