BAYESIAN

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Salvage plans discussed

The 'Bayesian ' is to be raised rom a depth of 50 meters from the seabed off Porticelli without losing clues. Representatives of the ship insurer P&I British Marine, through which the 'Bayesian's policy is held, have met at the beginning of the week with representatives of the yacht builder, investigators from the public prosecutor's office and members of the Coastguard to discuss possible salvage methods. The background to this was a corresponding tender from the insurer, which has expired on Nov 22, 2024. The public prosecutor's office in Termini Imerese wants to raise the ship in such a way that it remains as intact as possible. The yacht is a piece of evidence, and further investigations in the case depend on its examination. Therefore, neither the mast should be cut off nor the approximately 18,000 liters of fuel and oil should be drained from the tanks. At the same time, the Coastguard is demanding safety guarantees and compliance with environmental protection regulations during the operation. Eight plans were submitted, one of which has already been rejected due to excessive risks. The remaining seven will be voted on in the next two weeks. The final contract is to be awarded in mid-December. Part of the plans envisage securing the "Bayesian" with straps, turning it 90 degrees and hoisting it with cranes onto a pontoon specially built for this purpose. Buoyancy balloons will be used, which are attached to the sides of the hull to provide more stability. Depending on the condition of the hull, a decision will then be made as to how the "Bayesian" can be towed to a port. A lot depends on how much buoyancy the hull still has. Palermo and Termini Imerese were being discussed as the ports of destination. There, in contrast to other, closer ports, it will be possible to secure the ship with its 75-meter-high mast during the investigation. The start of the salvage operation is planned for mid-January 2025, and should not take longer than four to five weeks. However, the schedule depends largely on weather conditions and sea conditions. The "Bayesian" sank in mid-August off Porticelli on the north coast of Sicily during a stormy night. 22 people were on board at the time, ten of them crew members. 15 people survived the sinking, seven died, including the British tech magnate Mike Lynch and his daughter Hannah.