Tycoon Mike Lynch's sunken superyacht raised towards surface ahead of final lift
Floating crane ships HEBO LIFT 10 and HEBO LIFT 2 recover the \"Bayesian\" yacht of British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, who died when the yacht sank off Porticello, near Palermo, Sicily, Italy, June 20, 2025. REUTERS/Igor Petyx
Floating crane ships HEBO LIFT 10 and HEBO LIFT 2 recover the \"Bayesian\" yacht of British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, who died when the yacht sank off Porticello, near Palermo, Sicily, Italy, June 20, 2025. REUTERS/Igor Petyx
PALERMO, Italy - Salvage experts winched Mike Lynch's sunken superyacht towards the surface on Friday, 10 months after it went down off the coast of Sicily, killing the British tech tycoon, his teenage daughter and five others.
The vessel is scheduled to be lifted out of the water in the final phase of the recovery on Saturday, TMC Marine, the company leading the salvage operation, said.
"Accelerated progress in salvage works off the coast of northern Sicily mean that all preparations are now nearing completion, ahead of the delicate lifting procedure," the statement said.
The work was briefly halted last month after the death of a diver involved in the operation.
The 56-metre-long (184-foot) Bayesian was moored off the small port of Porticello, near Palermo, in August last year when it sank during a sudden storm.
The yacht was vulnerable to violent winds and was probably knocked over by gusts of more than 117 km (73 miles) per hour, an interim UK report said last month.
The recovery process has been made easier after the vessel's 72-metre mast was detached using a remote-controlled cutting tool and placed on the seabed on Tuesday.
The hull of the yacht has been supported by a specially designed steel wire lifting arrangement which is, in turn, attached to a floating lifting asset. The vessel is between two barges supplied by Hebo Maritimeservice, a Dutch specialist salvage company.
The salvage experts are now reinforcing the cables because the yacht will be heavier once pulled out of the water, a source at the Italian coast guard said.
The yacht is expected to be transported to the nearby port of Termini Imerese on Monday and handed over to the authorities who are investigating the tragedy.
Lynch's daughter Hannah, lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda, banker Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy, and chef Recaldo Thomas were killed when the yacht sank. Nine other crew members and six guests were rescued. REUTERS
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
6 hours ago
- Straits Times
Syria signs $800 million agreement with DP World to bolster ports infrastructure
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox FILE PHOTO: The corporate logo of DP World is seen at Jebel Ali Port in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, December 27, 2018. Picture taken December 27, 2018. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/File Photo Syria's General Authority for Land and Sea Ports on Sunday signed a $800 million agreement with UAE's DP World to bolster Syrian ports infrastructure and logistical services, Syrian state news agency SANA reported. The agreement follows on from a memorandum of understanding signed between the two sides in May. The deal with DP World, a subsidiary of United Arab Emirates investment company Dubai World, focuses on developing a multi-purpose terminal at Tartous on Syria's Mediterranean coast and cooperation in setting up industrial and free trade zones. The signing ceremony was attended by Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. Last month, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order terminating a U.S. sanctions programme on Syria, paving the way for an end to the country's isolation from the international financial system and for the rebuilding of its economy shattered by the civil war. The removal of U.S. sanctions will also clear the way for greater engagement by humanitarian organisations working in Syria, easing foreign investment and trade as the country rebuilds. REUTERS
Straits Times
6 hours ago
- Straits Times
EU to keep US trade countermeasures on hold until August, says von der Leyen
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox FILE PHOTO: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen looks on during a joint news conference with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and European Council President Antonio Costa, during an EU-Canada summit in Brussels, Belgium June 23, 2025. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo BRUSSELS - The EU will extend its suspension of countermeasures to U.S. tariffs until early August as it aims for a negotiated solution on trade with the United States, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Sunday. U.S. President Donald Trump escalated his global trade war on Saturday and threatened to impose a 30% tariff on imports from the European Union from Aug. 1, separate from sector-specific duties, despite months of intense talks. Announcing the extension of the halt on retaliatory measures, von der Leyen told reporters the bloc would "continue to prepare further countermeasures so we are fully prepared". A first package of countermeasures to U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminium that would hit 21 billion euros ($24.6 billion) in U.S. goods was suspended in April for 90 days to allow time for negotiations. The suspension had been due to expire on Monday. A second package has been in the works since May and would target 72 billion euros of U.S. goods, but these measures have not yet been made public and the final list requires approval by member states. Von der Leyen added that use of the EU's Anti-Coercion Instrument was not yet on the table. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Govt will continue to support families, including growing group of seniors: PM Wong at PCF Family Day Singapore From Normal stream to Parliament: 3 Singapore politicians share their journeys World Israeli strikes kill over 30 as truce talks deadlocked, says Gaza civil defence Singapore Segregated recycling bins found to lower contamination rate as more spring up Asia Mahathir discharged from hospital after feeling fatigued during birthday gathering Business 29 Jollibean workers get help from MOM, other agencies, over unpaid salaries Singapore Medics treat 7 after blaze at HDB block lift lobby in Chai Chee Singapore I lost my daughter to Kpod addiction: Father of 19-year-old shares heartbreak and lessons "The (anti-coercion) instrument is created for extraordinary situations, we are not there yet," she said. The instrument allows the bloc to retaliate against third countries that put economic pressure on EU members to change their policies. Possible retaliatory steps could include restricting EU market access to goods and services, and other economic measures related to areas including foreign direct investment, financial markets and export controls. REUTERS
Business Times
7 hours ago
- Business Times
EU, Indonesia strike political agreement to advance free trade deal
[BRUSSELS] A political agreement was reached to advance the EU-Indonesia free trade deal, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Sunday (Jul 13). The trade deal, dubbed Cepa for Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, will create more opportunities in key industries such as agriculture and the automotive sector, von der Leyen added. 'There's a lot of untouched potential in our trade relationship, and therefore this agreement comes at the right time because the new agreement will open new markets', she said at a press conference with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto. Said Subianto: 'We consider Europe to be very important to us. That's why we would like to see more European presence and more European participation in our economy. I think that in this era of instability or confusion, we are setting a right example.' Reuters
