Italian authorities are investigating the captain of the yacht Bayesian for his role in its sinking last week in Sicily, which led to the death of UK tech tycoon Mike Lynch and six others, according to one of the lawyers involved.
James Cutfield, the New Zealand-citizen captain of the luxury vessel, is being investigated for manslaughter and for negligent shipwreck, one of his lawyers confirmed in a message.
The investigation does not imply any guilt or negligence by the captain, but it is a formal step needed for the prosecutors investigating the events to continue the probe.
The victims of the Bayesian sinking were likely either asleep or tried to escape as Lynch’s yacht went down in minutes during bad weather, prosecutors in Sicily said on Saturday. Deputy prosecutor Raffaele Cammarano told reporters Cutfield had been “very cooperative” in answering questions.
Details on what happened to the victims aren’t fully clear, Cammarano said last week. Prosecutors have said they are limited in what they can communicate to the press lest it prejudice the investigation.
Of the 22 passengers in the boat, 15 were rescued on Aug. 19. Besides Lynch, Morgan Stanley International chair Jonathan Bloomer was among the victims found dead.