Italy Luxury Yacht Dry Drowning: In a tragic incident last month, seven people lost their lives when a luxury yacht sank off the coast of Sicily, Italy. Recent reports have revealed that four of the victims likely died after exhausting an air pocket they had found inside the sunken ship. This rare form of suffocation, referred to as “dry drowning,” has shocked many, as the victims didn’t actually drown in the usual sense.
The Yacht Sinking: What Happened?
On August 19, 2024, a violent storm struck the 184-foot British-flagged superyacht, Bayesian, while it was anchored off the coast of Sicily. The ship was carrying 22 people when it capsized and sank within minutes due to the intense storm. Of the 22 people on board, 15 were rescued by the Italian Coast Guard, but tragically, seven people lost their lives.
The victims included prominent figures like Jonathan Bloomer, chairman of Morgan Stanley International, and his wife, Judith. Also among the dead were American lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife, Neda. These four victims were found together in a cabin on the ship, and initial autopsies provided some answers about how they died.
Dry Drowning: What Does it Mean?
Autopsies showed that none of the four victims had water in their lungs, ruling out traditional drowning. Instead, the victims likely found an air pocket inside the cabin as the yacht sank. They may have survived for a time by breathing in this air, but as the oxygen in the pocket was used up, only carbon dioxide remained. This toxic buildup of carbon dioxide eventually led to their suffocation, a phenomenon known as “dry drowning.”
Dry drowning is a rare condition where someone dies from a lack of oxygen, even though they have not inhaled water. In this case, the victims likely consumed all the oxygen in the air pocket, leaving them with no breathable air.
Autopsies and Ongoing Investigations
The autopsies of the four victims have provided key details about their tragic deaths. The two other victims, British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter, are scheduled to have their autopsies soon. The seventh victim, the yacht’s onboard chef, Recaldo Thomas, has had his autopsy delayed as authorities attempt to contact his family in Antigua.
As investigations continue, authorities are looking into whether human error contributed to the yacht’s sinking. The yacht was owned by Angela Bacares, the wife of Mike Lynch, who survived the incident. The group on the yacht had been celebrating Mike Lynch’s recent acquittal of fraud and conspiracy charges in relation to the sale of his company, Autonomy, to Hewlett Packard.
What Caused the Yacht to Sink?
The exact cause of the yacht’s sinking is still under investigation, but it is known that a violent storm hit the ship in the early hours of August 19. The storm caused the yacht to capsize quickly, sinking within minutes. With such little time to react, many of the people on board were unable to escape the sinking ship.
The survivors, including Angela Bacares, were rescued by the Italian Coast Guard. Bacares, who owns the firm that the yacht was listed under, is cooperating with authorities as they investigate the cause of the disaster.
A Tragic Celebration Turned Fatal
The group on board the yacht had been celebrating Mike Lynch’s legal victory. He had recently been acquitted of fraud and conspiracy charges related to the $11 billion sale of his software company, Autonomy, to Hewlett Packard in 2011. This celebration, however, turned into a nightmare as the yacht sank in the storm.
While 15 people survived, the loss of seven lives has left a deep sense of grief among the victims’ families and friends.
Conclusion
The sinking of the Bayesian superyacht off the coast of Italy has left a tragic mark on all those involved. The revelation that four of the victims died from “dry drowning” after depleting an air pocket adds an even more heartbreaking dimension to this disaster. As investigations continue, many hope to uncover the full truth behind the sinking and prevent such tragedies in the future.
