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First pictures"Bayesian" - this is what it looks like inside the wreck

Martin Hager

 · 30.06.2025

The interior, designed by Remi Tessier, is completely destroyed, with mud and dirt in every corner, as here in the salon.
Photo: Antonino Di Cristofalo, picture alliance / ASSOCIATED PRESS
The salvage of the 56-metre-long superyacht "Bayesian" has probably attracted more attention than almost any other shipwreck to date. On 19 August last year, the ship sank off the coast of Sicily under tragic circumstances, with seven people losing their lives. Following the costly salvage of the giant sloop, experts are now investigating the cause of the accident in the harbour of Termini Imerese. Claims for damages totalling millions are at stake.
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First images from inside the first Bayesian" recovered last week show the full extent of the destruction. For ten months, the yacht with its 72 metre high mast lay at the bottom of the sea, just one nautical mile off Porticello. The interior of the yacht, which was delivered in 2008 and was designed by Parisian designer Remi Tessier, is completely devastated - mud and dirt cover the entire ship, both in the saloon, in the companionways and in the engine room on the lower deck. To restore the yacht with the help of the Crane ship "Hebo Lift 10" The salvage company cut off the mast while it was still at the bottom of the sea. The 72-metre-long aluminium mast will be brought ashore in a second step.

First inspection of the "Bayesian" by experts

The experts from the public prosecutor's office in Termini Imerese have now carried out an initial inspection of the wreck, which is completely covered in mud. The captain and two crew members are being investigated on suspicion of negligent homicide and causing a shipwreck, according to the public prosecutor's office. The wreck is now expected to provide important evidence. Particular attention is likely to be paid to possible technical defects or errors in the operation of the ship.

On the night of the accident, British tech billionaire Mike Lynch and his daughter Hannah, banker Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Anne Elizabeth Bloomer, manager Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda Nassiri and the ship's cook Recaldo Thomas lost their lives on board the "Bayesian". The families of the fatalities are now seeking compensation - according to media reports, the total amount of the claims could be over 40 million euros.

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Complex investigations planned

After the salvage operation, "Bayesian" was carefully placed on a heavy-duty steel trestle in the harbour of Termini Imerese. The wreck will be thoroughly examined in the coming days. Among other things, inspections of the hull are planned, which so far shows no leaks. At the same time, the diesel tank, which still contains around 18,000 litres of fuel, must be emptied.

Reputation as a "bewitched ship"

"Bayesian" has now confirmed its reputation as a "jinxed ship": after an accident in May, the Dutch diver dies during the rescue According to reports in the Berliner Morgenpost, an engineer commissioned to carry out the report suffered a serious car accident this week. He had to be hospitalised, but his life is not in danger. However, he was unable to take part in the first inspection of the wreck.

Legal dispute worth millions expected

The financial background to the accident is likely to ensure that hardly a detail will go unnoticed in the expected lengthy proceedings in Italy. According to initial estimates, the value in dispute is at least 150 million euros. Criminal proceedings are currently underway in Termini Imerese, in the course of which civil law claims could also be asserted. The insurers are likely to cover the costs of the salvage and possible claims for damages - as long as no wilful misconduct is proven.

Martin Hager

Martin Hager

Editor in Chief YACHT

Martin Hager is editor-in-chief of the titles YACHT and BOOTE EXCLUSIV and has been working for Delius Klasing Verlag for 20 years. He was born in Heidelberg in 1978 and started sailing at the age of six, in an Opti of course. This was soon followed by 420s, Sprinta Sport and 470s, which he also sailed on the regatta course with his brother. His parents regularly took him on charter trips through the Greek and Balearic Islands. Even at a young age, it was clear to him that he wanted to turn his passion for water sports into a career. After graduating from high school and completing an internship at the Rathje boatbuilding company in Kiel, it was clear that he did not want to become a classic boatbuilder. Instead, he successfully studied shipbuilding and marine engineering in the Schleswig-Holstein state capital and focused on yacht design wherever he could. His diploma thesis dealt with the “Testing of a new speed prediction method for sailing yachts”. In 2004, the superyacht magazine BOOTE EXCLUSIV was looking for an editor with technical and nautical background knowledge, a position that was perfect for Martin Hager. The application was successful and a two-year traineeship was arranged. After twelve years as an editor, the editorial team changed and he took over responsibility for BOOTE EXCLUSIV as editor-in-chief in 2017. After long-time YACHT editor-in-chief Jochen Rieker moved to the role of publisher, Martin Hager also took over the position of editor-in-chief of Europe's largest sailing magazine YACHT, which is celebrating its 120th anniversary this year, at the beginning of 2023. When he's not working on topics for the two water sports titles, Martin Hager likes to go out on the water himself - preferably with kite and wingfoil equipment or on a little after-work trip across the Alster.

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