Human error blamed for the tragic sinking of Mike Lynch's yacht
Giovanni Costantino, head of Sea Group, claims that human error caused Mike Lynch's yacht to sink. Costantino's company took over the Perini Navi brand, which produced the sunken vessel.
On 19 August, off the coast of Sicily, a yacht belonging to businessman Mike Lynch was involved in a disaster. The 184-foot yacht, anchored about a quarter of a mile from the shore, sank during a violent storm. Fifteen people were rescued from the calamity. Seven perished, including Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter.
From the beginning, speculations surrounded the vessel's sinking. The Italian prosecutor conducting the investigation referred to it as a "sudden and unexpected" event.
The manufacturer's hypothesis
Giovanni Costantino, CEO of the Italian firm Sea Group, which took over the Perini Navi brand after its collapse, believes that the crew of the vessel is to blame for the sinking. Due to the violent storm, the yacht is said to have capsized and found itself underwater within a few minutes.
Costantino assessed that the sinking of Mike Lynch's yacht must have been caused by human error. He added that the vessel would not have sunk if the hatch had not been open.
When passengers said they did not hear a loud noise on the deck, indicating that the yacht hit a reef, I realised it took on water because the hatch was left open. Otherwise, it couldn't have sunk, he stated with conviction.
Crew under investigation
Three crew members are under an Italian investigation, which is being conducted on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter and causing the yacht to sink.
I imagine that the crew is experiencing the worst moment of their lives. However, something in their reaction did not work. Costantino remarked about them, "There was a chain of human errors."
