Authorities Open Manslaughter Investigation in Italy Yacht Sinking

Italian authorities said on Saturday that they had opened a manslaughter investigation into the sinking of the Bayesian luxury yacht, but that they had not yet zeroed in on any potential suspects.

The sleek, $40 million sailing boat went down fast in a storm off Sicily’s coast on Monday morning, killing Michael Lynch, a British tech billionaire; his teenage daughter, Hannah; four of his friends; and one member of the crew. The captain escaped on a lifeboat with 14 others.

On Saturday, Ambrogio Cartosio, the prosecutor in charge of the case, said at a news conference that it was “plausible” crimes were committed during the accident.

“There could be responsibilities of the captain only,” he said. “There could be responsibilities of the whole crew. There could be responsibilities of the boat makers. Or there could be responsibilities of those who were in charge of surveilling the boat.”

Here is what the authorities said on Saturday:

• It will be difficult to determine the cause of the sinking until the yacht is brought to the surface and inspected, which could take weeks.

• Five bodies were found in the same cabin.

• The yacht sank at an angle, with the stern — where the heavy engine is situated — having gone down first.

• The captain and the crew, who have been holed up in a Sicilian hotel with other survivors, are allowed to leave Italy. But prosecutors said that they still want to ask them more questions.

• The authorities did not perform alcohol or drug tests on the captain or the crew.

• The authorities would not comment on whether hatches on the deck had been left open, which would have allowed water to pour in during the yacht’s sinking.

• In addition to possible manslaughter charges, the authorities are also investigating the possibility of a negligently caused shipwreck, a crime that carries up to several years in prison upon conviction.

Investigators said they were focusing on why the 184-foot-long Bayesian, which was built in 2008, went down so quickly, especially when other yachts nearby weathered the storm.

Executives at the company that built the boat have said there is nothing faulty with the design of the yacht and have tried to shift the blame to the crew.