Tragedy Strikes as Expert Crew Gears Up to Lift Superyacht Bayesian

A tragic incident occurred today, May 9, when a salvage diver lost his life while preparing to raise the superyacht Bayesian. Italian authorities have confirmed the news but haven’t shared many specifics.

according to local reports, the diver, a 39-year-old from the Netherlands, was working underwater near Porticello, Italy. His death happened during ongoing preparations to lift the 184-foot yacht from its resting place on the seabed.

This complex operation involves a specialized team led by TMC Marine from the UK and includes Dutch firms Hebo and SMIT Salvage alongside local experts. Around 70 professionals are currently on-site for this challenging task that is expected to unfold over several weeks.

The salvage efforts kicked off this week with an underwater survey aimed at assessing both the yacht’s position and its condition after winter. The vessel had set sail from Italy on August 14 with notable guests like tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch aboard. Tragically,it sank just five days later while anchored offshore; among those who perished were Lynch and his teenage daughter along with several others.Out of 22 individuals onboard,seven lost their lives while fifteen managed to escape in lifeboats.

Authorities believe that recovering the yacht could shed light on why it sank. While they no a severe storm struck during its voyage, they maintain that under normal circumstances, it should have weathered such conditions without issue.

The salvage crew has reported that despite being submerged at about 50 meters (around 164 feet), the vessel remains in relatively good shape. Their strategy includes removing rigging from its towering mast before lifting it out of water; these components will be temporarily stored on-site until recovery operations can proceed further.

As investigations into the diver’s untimely death begin, it’s worth noting that operations may face delays due to safety protocols enforced by authorities like the Italian Coast Guard.