A salvage diver working on the preliminary efforts preparing to raise the superyacht Bayesian was killed today, May 9. Italian officials confirmed the incident without providing further details.
Local media are reporting that a 39-year-old salvage diver, a Dutch national, died as teams were continuing the preparation to lift the 184-foot yacht, which is resting on the seabed off Porticello, Italy. They reported the diver was working underwater at the time of his death without providing further details.
A specialized team was assembled for the complex task of raising the vessel, which is lying at a depth of 50 meters (approximately 164 feet). The effort is being supervised by the UK’s TMC Marine and involves Dutch companies Hebo and SMIT Salvage as well as Italian specialists. Reports are saying about 70 specialists are now on site for the operation, which is expected to take several weeks.
Work began this week with a new underwater survey to determine the position of the yacht and its condition after the winter. It departed Italy on August 14 with a premier guest list headed by tech tycoon Mike Lynch. The vessel went down five days later while anchored offshore, killing Lynch, his teenage daughter, the chairman of Morgan Stanley International, Lynch’s U.S. lawyer, and others. Seven of the 22 people aboard died, while 15 were able to make it into a lifeboat and survived.
Officials hope that raising the yacht will help to answer the questions surrounding why the vessel went down. They know a strong storm hit the vessel, but believe it should not have been in danger of foundering even in those conditions.
The salvage team reports the vessel is in good condition, and their plan calls for removing the rigging from the 236-foot mast. They will store the removed pieces on the seabed for recovery after the hull. A steel sling will need to be placed to hold the hull in place and for the eventual lift.
The Italian Coast Guard has been on the scene, and reports indicate the salvage operation will now be delayed while an investigation is launched into the diver’s death.