Photo: ALBERTO PIZZOLI / AFP / Getty Images
Autopsies have revealed that four of the seven victims who died in the sinking of the Bayesian superyacht off the coast of Sicily last month died of "dry drowning," a condition where victims suffocate after being trapped in an air bubble that eventually runs out of oxygen. The victims included New York City lawyer Chris Morvillo, his wife Neda, Jonathan Bloomer, chairman of Morgan Stanley’s London-based investment banking subsidiary, and his wife, Judy.
The Bayesian, an 184-foot British-flagged luxury yacht, sank within about 16 minutes of being hit by a predawn storm on August 19. The victims were found in a cabin on the port or left side of the hull. The ship sank tilted on its starboard side, and as the oxygen ran out, their air pockets became toxic with carbon dioxide, which ultimately led to their deaths.
Tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, who had organized the yacht trip to celebrate a recent legal victory, and his 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, were also among the victims. Autopsies on their bodies, as well as the ship's cook, Recaldo Thomas, are scheduled for Friday.
The Bayesian had 22 people on board – 12 passengers and 10 crew. Fifteen people, including Lynch's wife, were rescued. The cause of the ship's sinking has yet to be determined, but civil protection officials believe the ship was struck by a tornado over the water, known as a waterspout, near the port of Porticello, where the yacht was anchored.
Prosecutors are investigating the captain and two crew members for possible responsibility in connection with the sinking. Giovanni Costantino, the CEO of the manufacturing company responsible for building the yacht, has blamed a series of "indescribable, unreasonable errors" by the crew for the vessel’s demise.