Storm relentlessly assails Bayesian megayacht in footage, leading to its submergence near Sicilian shorelines.
The black-and-white video seems to depict a storm hammering the yacht named "Bayesian" with the British flag. Situated at the harbor, the footage displays the boat swaying intensely from left to right before eventually turning turtle.
CNN wasn't able to establish the exact location or date of the recording, but the vessel in the video appears to have a similar design to that of the Bayesian.
The ship went under on Monday, taking at least one out of the 22 individuals aboard, reportedly due to its mast, one of the world's tallest, splitting in two during the storm. Fifteen people were successfully rescued.
The body pulled out of the ship was identified as Ricardo Thomas, a chef hailing from Antigua, according to Reuters.
A few notable individuals, such as Mike Lynch (British tech mogul), Jonathan Bloomer (director of Morgan Stanley International), and Chris Movillo (prominent American lawyer), are among the missing, as per Sicily’s Civil Protection.
Lynch's 18-year-old daughter was also listed as missing. His wife, Angela Barcares, managed to survive. In an interview with the Italian daily La Repubblica within a Sicilian hospital, seated in a wheelchair, Barcares mentioned being woken up at 4 a.m. as the boat tilted.
She and her husband initially assumed it was just rough waves but grew concerned when the yacht's windows shattered.
The yacht sank shortly thereafter, around half a mile from the Porticello port, with the help of a small waterspout－a type of tornado－spinning over the Mediterranean island, most likely causing the boat to capsize. Eyewitnesses described ferocious winds and gales that left a trail of debris near the pier.
The owner of a nearby villa, upon learning about the sinking ship, replayed his CCTV footage, where the Bayesian could be seen going under.
“In a mere 60 seconds, the vessel disappears,” the villa owner shared with Italian outlet ANSA. “It's clear what transpired. The boat had no chance of survival for long.”
Emergency teams continued the search for the missing on Wednesday, executing both underwater and surface operations. The wreckage is believed to be around 50 meters deep (approximately 150 feet) beneath the surface, and divers only have around 12 minutes to explore before they must resurface due to the limitations of their equipment, warned Italy's fire brigade.
Divers managed to gain access to the ship's interior on Tuesday, according to the fire brigade, as well as some rooms beneath the control bridge. However, they noted that the operations were challenging due to the numerous obstacles and tight passages within the vessel. They were planning to open up some of these passages on Wednesday.
Three days on from the wreck, investigators are still grappling to understand how the ship sank so rapidly. Matthew Schanck, chair of the Maritime Search and Rescue Council, suggested on Tuesday that such incidents are extremely rare.
“Given the extreme weather and the likelihood of a water spout being involved, this is what I'd class as a black swan event,” he said, referencing an unexpected and unlikely occurrence. “Even industries outside of maritime struggle with these events,” he added.
Although Sicily isn't famous for tornadoes or water spouts, Schanck pointed out, "there's a risk" they could happen but not every day.
“I believe it would be beneficial to examine the potential implications on vessel construction, vessel stability, and possibly safety regulations,” Schanck concluded.
CNN’s Duarte Mendonça and Niamh Kennedy contributed to the reporting.
The Bayesian, with its British flag, faced such adversity not just in the storm that hit Europe, but also in the broader context of the world's unpredictable weather events.
The international community expressed concern as prominent individuals from Europe and America were reported missing after the sinking of the Bayesian.
