Marine experts have begun work to raise a British-flagged superyacht from the seabed off the coast of Sicily, Italy.
Last summer, the yacht Bayesian sank, killing tech magnate Mike Lynch, his daughter and five others.
The operations will be carried out using two floating cranes: Hebo Lift 2, which operates underwater equipment and vehicles remotely, and Hebo Lift 10, one of the most powerful offshore cranes in Europe, which docked at the Sicilian port of Termini Imerese on Saturday after arriving from Rotterdam.
The Italian Coast Guard is monitoring operations and patrolling a secure perimeter to ensure the safety of recovery workers.
The entire operation to recover the Bayesian yacht is reported to take between 20 and 25 days. Once the wreckage is raised to shore, it will be examined by the forensic authorities investigating the sinking.
Prosecutors are looking into possible liability of the captain and two crew members for the sinking of the ship on August 19, 2024.
The 183-foot, 473-ton yacht sank, believed to have been caused by a sudden gust of wind or strong localized thunderstorm wind that spread rapidly after reaching the surface.
Coast Guard Captain Nicola Silvestri said the yacht's 246-foot aluminum mast – the second tallest in the world – would be cut to make it easier to lift the hull from 160 feet of water.
In addition to Mr Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah, the incident also killed Morgan Stanley International chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy, lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda, and ship's cook Recaldo Tomas.
With the help of nearby ships, 15 of the 22 people were initially rescued, one body was found and six people are still missing.
The bodies of the six missing persons were found as a result of a long and complex search operation that continued until August 23.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
