The Mysterious Theories Surrounding the Sinking of British Billionaire Mike Lynch’s Yacht
The sinking of the yacht carrying British billionaire Mike Lynch and his family remains a topic of controversy and speculation. The vague and even implausible details surrounding the accident have made the cause of the incident unclear and led to numerous theories.
The yacht in question had 22 people on board, including 10 crew members and 12 passengers. So far, 15 people have been rescued, including 9 crew members. An Italian diving team has located the last missing body, believed to be Lynch’s daughter, Hannah.
Since the accident, many questions have arisen. The superyacht, measuring 56 meters in length with a 75-meter aluminum mast – one of the tallest masts in the world – was thought to withstand severe weather conditions. Yet, it sank within minutes.
Information about the tragic incident remains scarce. The only clear evidence of the sinking of the Bayesian yacht was captured by a surveillance camera at a villa on the Porticello harbor in Sicily, Italy. The footage shows the yacht’s mast disappearing into the darkening storm. The villa owner claimed that the Bayesian sank within a minute.
Survivors are currently staying at a nearby hotel while waiting for investigators to determine what happened during the 3 to 5 minutes when the yacht was sinking. However, the low-quality video and the limited information from traumatized survivors have not clarified the situation.
One theory is that the yacht might have been struck by a waterspout – a tornado over the sea that is becoming more frequent in the Mediterranean due to rising sea temperatures. On that morning, a group of fishermen in Porticello reported seeing a waterspout for about 12 minutes, which could have caused the mast to break and the yacht to lose balance.
Although the yacht’s mast, designed to withstand harsh weather conditions, remains intact, and the hull is not punctured according to divers, other theories include the yacht’s emergency systems failing to seal the vessel when water started flooding in, or a massive wall of water lifting the stern and causing the bow to plunge to the seabed.
Another theory is that human error could have played a role. The captain of yachts with such tall masts usually moves away from dangerous areas during strong winds. Dropping anchor in an unsafe area could be risky.
Additionally, the Bayesian was equipped with a “keel lifting” system by Perini Navi, an Italian yacht builder. If this system malfunctioned and did not fully extend, it could have affected the yacht’s stability during strong winds.
The story of the passengers further adds to the mystery. The superyacht was owned by Angela Bacares, the 57-year-old wife of British tech tycoon Mike Lynch, who disappeared along with their 18-year-old daughter, Hannah. Also missing were Lynch’s lawyer Chris Morvillo and Jonathan Bloomer, Chairman of Morgan Stanley Bank. The party on the yacht was reportedly a celebration of Lynch’s acquittal in a recent fraud case, after a decade-long legal battle.
A curious and puzzling coincidence is that Stephen Chamberlain, a friend of Lynch and former CFO of Autonomy, died 48 hours before the Bayesian sank. Chamberlain was struck by a car while walking in Stretham, Cambridgeshire, England.
Two main conspiracy theories have emerged: one suggesting that Lynch and Chamberlain were both murdered, though it’s unclear by whom or why; and the other proposing that Lynch’s death was staged, and he escaped the scene aboard a submarine.
Despite their implausibility, these theories continue to circulate on social media. Longtime friend Brent Hoberman described the tragedy as “a Shakespearean play,” expressing the injustice of the yacht’s sinking and hoping for a dramatic resolution.
However, the possibility of such theories remains as unlikely as other emerging speculations, including the suggestion by some British news outlets that the missing persons might still be alive thanks to an “air bubble” inside the yacht’s hull.
