Coast Guard Says They’re ‘Not Sure a Black Box Was Present’ in Sunken Sicily Yacht

Mar. 15, 2025

The ‘Bayesian’ sailing boat.Photo:PERINI NAVI PRESS OFFICE/HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

PERINI NAVI PRESS OFFICE/HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

“We are not sure a black box was present," a representative for the Italian Coast Guard said of the part of the luxury boat, which sank in theearly morning hours of Monday, Aug. 19during a “violent storm.”

“To look for it you have to look within the wreck, and this was very dangerous for the divers. In the first part of the search, they searched for people still alive, then later on for bodies,” they added.

Rescue divers during search operations for the ‘Bayesian’.Antonio Cascio/Bloomberg via Getty

Antonio Cascio/Bloomberg via Getty

The press conference also addressed the work being done to recover the ship in the ocean. The black box would likely be able to answer questions surrounding the final moments for those on board.

“At the moment a lot of answers remain unanswered as [the boat] is at the bottom of the sea, and bringing it up will depend on the availability of owners and the management company and how quickly a plan is drawn up," the Coast Guard said in the press conference.

The organization added, “A technical plan needs to be submitted to the maritime authorities, but also a general one outlining the retrieval process. But we are still at a very preliminary stage. I can’t say we can do it in 8 weeks.”

A life boat docked near Palermo following the ‘Bayesian’ sinking.ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images

ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images

There were 22 people on board theBayesian, according to the Italian Coast Guard, with 12 passengers and 10 crew members.

Thevictims of theBayesiansinkingareyacht chef Recaldo Thomas;Christopher Morvillo and his wife, Neda; Morgan Stanley International chairmanJonathan Bloomer and his wife, JudyandBritish tech entrepreneur Mike Lynchand hisdaughter, Hannah Lynch.

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Italian authorities arelaunching a manslaughter investigationfollowing the tragedy.

Though the press conference couldn’t answer questions surrounding the ongoing investigation, Girolamo Bentivoglio Fiandra, head of the Palermo Fire Bridgade, was able to explain what was going on during the victims' final moments.

Divers searching for the passengers aboard the ‘Bayesian’.HANDOUT/Vigili del Fuoco/AFP via Getty

HANDOUT/Vigili del Fuoco/AFP via Getty

“It was quite clear that people were trying to hide in the cabins. In the left-hand side we found the first 5 bodies in the left-hand side cabins, and the final body on the right-hand side," he said.

“We found them on the highest part of the ship which was closer to the surface. The vessel had three cabins on each side,” he continued, adding that the victims who retreated to cabins had also been “searching for air pockets.”

source: people.com