Seven dead when luxury yacht sinks: when will the ship finally be salvaged?

By Robert Messer

Palermo (Italy) - Eight months after the sinking of the luxury yacht "Bayesian" off Sicily , in which seven people died, the salvage of the wreck has now been postponed again.

Seven bodies were recovered at the end of August.
Seven bodies were recovered at the end of August.  © Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP

The highly complicated operation to pull the almost 500-ton ship to the surface off the port of Porticello is now due to begin on Wednesday, according to the Ansa news agency. It was actually supposed to start today, Sunday.

Seven people lost their lives in the sinking last August. There is much speculation surrounding the accident. The public prosecutor's office hopes that the salvage operation will shed light on how this could have happened.

The ship belonged to British software billionaire Mike Lynch, who also had links to the secret services.

The 59-year-old died, as did his 18-year-old daughter . Two befriended couples and the ship's cook also died. Apart from the cook, the entire crew managed to escape.

The search for the missing persons had gone on for days.
The search for the missing persons had gone on for days.  © HANDOUT / Vigili del Fuoco / AFP

Captain and two other crew members under investigation

The captain and two other crew members are under investigation . They are accused of having ignored the warnings of a storm and then only taking themselves to safety. It is also a question of whether the Italian manufacturer is to blame for the sinking of the ship.

For the salvage operation, the area around the wreck lying on the seabed will be cordoned off and shipping will be prohibited all around.