Captain of Bayesian superyacht is investigated for 'manslaughter and shipwreck': James Cutfield is grilled a second time for several hours over tragedy which left seven dead

Prosecutors successful Italy person launched an charismatic investigation into nan skipper of nan £30million Bayesian superyacht which sank disconnected Sicily past week, sidesplitting British tech billionaire Mike Lynch, his girl and 5 others. 

Captain James Cutfield, a 51-year-old New Zealander, is being investigated for manslaughter and shipwreck, Italian dailies La Repubblica and Corriere della Sera are reporting today.

Magistrates said to Cutfield yesterday for nan 2nd clip successful a week, it is claimed, questioning him for much than 2 hours. It said prosecutors whitethorn besides analyse a unit personnel who was connected work erstwhile nan large wind deed and survived nan incident. 

Being placed nether investigation successful Italy does not connote guilt and does not mean general charges will needfully follow.

Six passengers - including Mr Lynch and his 18-year-old girl Hannah - died alongside cook Recaldo Thomas aft nan British-flagged pleasance yacht capsized and came to remainder connected its broadside 164ft beneath successful nan early hours of past Monday.

Hundreds of group successful nan Sicilian sportfishing organization of Porticello, held a poignant candle-lit vigil for nan victims past night, arsenic a erstwhile marine who guarded Mr Lynch while he was nether location apprehension said nan acquisition was 'life-changing'. 

A upwind arena known arsenic a downburst - a convulsive downward detonation of upwind that past expands outwards arsenic it hits nan ground, often produced successful thunderstorms and mistaken for tornadoes - is believed to person played a part. 

While nan yacht had been deed by nan very abrupt meteorological event, it was plausible that crimes of aggregate manslaughter and causing a shipwreck done negligence had been committed, main charismatic of Termini Imerese, Ambrogio Cartosio, said connected Saturday.

Maritime rule gives a skipper afloat work for nan vessel and nan crew, arsenic good arsenic nan information of each aboard.

Prosecutors successful Italy person antecedently questioned Cutfield, who they said had been 'extremely cooperative'. Other Bayesian unit members person remained successful Italy voluntarily to assistance nan investigation.

It comes aft Italian prosecutors held a property convention connected Saturday, wherever it was revealed nan victims were incapable to flight arsenic they whitethorn person been asleep.

They had scrambled to 1 broadside of nan vessel successful hunt of aerial pockets successful a hopeless effort for survival, pinch Hannah - who had won a spot astatine nan University of Oxford - dying unsocial successful a cabin.

At nan Termini Imerese Courthouse successful Palermo, Mr Cartosio did not norm retired homicide charges.

One statement of enquiry being pursued by prosecutors is whether nan 9 surviving unit members raised nan siren earlier escaping.

Mr Cartosio vowed to found each unit members' work arsenic he warned: 'For me, it is probable that offences were committed - that it could beryllium a lawsuit of manslaughter.'

He said location were 'behaviours that were not perfectly successful bid pinch respect to nan work everybody had', earlier adding: 'There could beryllium successful truth nan mobility of homicide. But this is nan opening of nan inquiry, we cannot exclude thing astatine all.'

A vigil for nan victims of nan disaster was held past nighttime successful nan sportfishing organization of Porticello successful Sicily. 

It comes arsenic tributes continued to move successful for nan victims, with the information defender who ensured Mike Lynch remained nether location apprehension during his proceedings successful America revealing nan mogul treated him for illustration a personnel of his family.

Rolo Igno, a court-appointed equipped guard, said: 'As an executive protection agent, nan number 1 norm is simple, don't ever get adjacent to nan principal. 

'They aren't your friends, they're a customer and nan narration is strictly professional. But pinch Mike, that didn't alert pinch him and for maine that norm quickly dissolved.'

Describing nan first clip he escorted Dr Lynch and his daughters to lunch, he said: 'I opened nan doorway for them and told Mike, ''If you request thing astatine each sir, I'll beryllium correct astatine this array by nan entrance''. He chuckled and successful his assured way, Mike replied, ''No, no, no, you'll beryllium sitting pinch us''.

'When I hesitated, not wanting to disrupt their family time, he insisted, saying, 'Rolo, do you want maine to show my beautiful daughters that nan reliable and handsome information guy, who was a erstwhile marine, didn't want to beryllium pinch america because he was intimidated by them?' How could I perchance opportunity nary to that?

'So, I joined them, sitting astatine nan acold extremity of nan table, emotion retired of my constituent but gradually realising really genuine and loving they each were.'

The victims' bodies were tragically recovered successful 'tight spots' pinch furnishings connected apical of them and brought ashore one-by-one by dive teams past week, who had carried retired 120 trips to nan wreck connected nan seabed.

Fifteen of nan 22 group connected committee nan vessel - including Hannah's mother Angela Bacares, 57 - managed to flight successful a liferaft.

Italian prosecutors person admitted they did not conduct alcohol and supplier testing connected nan vessel's unit - each but 1 of whom survived - because they needed curen and were successful shock. They person vowed to mobility nan sailors intensively.

The coastguard says nary tornado informing had been issued that night, contrary to erstwhile reports, and nan ship's skipper Mr Cutfield reportedly told Italian newspaper La Repubblica of nan abrupt upwind change: 'We didn't spot it coming.'

Mr Cartosio antecedently said he thought it was 'probable that offences were committed' surrounding nan sinking of nan yacht. 

He opened a lawsuit of shipwreck and manslaughter that was not initially directed astatine immoderate individuals. Mr Cutfield is now being investigated for shipwreck and manslaughter.

According to a unrecorded translator provided by nan BBC, Mr Carosio told reporters that nan sinking could person been nan work of nan captain, crew, individuals successful complaint of supervision, nan ship-builder, aliases others.

He added: 'We will found each element's work - that will beryllium done by nan inquiry, truthful we can't do that prematurely.

'For me, it is probable that offences were committed - that it could beryllium a lawsuit of manslaughter - but we tin only found that if you springiness america nan clip to investigate.

'Media timing is wholly different from that of a prosecutor. We request a minimum magnitude of clip to travel to a due technological conclusion.'

Mr Cartosio, while stressing that enquiries stay astatine an early stage, appeared to propose location were questions for nan unit to answer.

He added that it would beryllium 'painful' if, theoretically, 'this tragedy, this unspeakable tragedy, was caused by behaviours that were not perfectly successful bid pinch respect to nan work that everybody had to person (on) nan ship.' 

He added: 'Individuals aliases group would perchance beryllium culpable, negligent, deficiency of prudence, deficiency of responsibility... We can't conscionable woody pinch this quickly.'

Lead charismatic Raffaele Cammarano added of nan crew: 'We are going to observe really overmuch they knew aliases to what grade each nan group were warned.

'This arena was wholly unexpected truthful nan enquiry which arsenic nan charismatic antecedently said is going to beryllium based connected betterment of nan wreck, erstwhile we'll beryllium capable to analyse nan wreck and perchance get immoderate answers to questions that astatine nan infinitesimal cannot beryllium answered.' 

The disaster killed six passengers and 1 personnel of crew. Among nan survivors are six different passengers and 9 members of nan crew, including Mr Cutfield, and nan first officer.

Questions stay arsenic to whether those who died had been warned nan vessel was successful problem - and really agelong it took for nan Bayesian to descend while nan 15 survivors were rescued aft a passing vessel sent retired a lifeboat.

Stephen Askins, a partner astatine maritime rule specialists Tatham & Co, previously told MailOnline the forecasted bad upwind apt meant nan unit were already up and moving erstwhile nan Bayesian sunk, allowing them to quickly flight successful a liferaft.

The clip it took nan vessel to sink, mixed pinch nan actions of nan unit arsenic it became evident it was successful trouble, will apt shape nan halfway of immoderate manslaughter inquiry. 

The yacht is believed to person sunk astatine nan stern aft being upset by a downburst that dispersed retired pinch force, coming to remainder connected its right-hand side arsenic it deed nan oversea bed.

Rescue chiefs said it was evident to divers that victims had tried to activity shelter successful 1 broadside of nan upturned boat, wherever location whitethorn person been aerial bubbles, arsenic it sank.

Hannah was recovered unsocial successful her compartment while 5 others, including her father, were found successful a abstracted compartment. 

Fire work commandant Girolamo Bentivoglio Fiandra told reporters astatine a convention successful Termini Imerese, adjacent to nan sinking tract astatine Palermo: 'You whitethorn want to cognize wherever we recovered nan bodies of nan victims. I tin show you... that nan vessel sunk and was laid onto its correct manus broadside astatine nan bottommost of nan sea. 

'It's rather clear that nan group were trying to hide successful nan cabins connected nan left-hand broadside and we recovered nan first 5 bodies successful nan first compartment connected nan left-hand broadside and nan last assemblage successful nan 3rd compartment connected nan left-hand side.

'There were six cabins: 3 connected nan left-hand broadside and 3 connected nan right-hand side. We recovered them connected nan highest portion of nan vessel going towards nan surface.'

One personification had been connected watch successful nan cockpit erstwhile disaster struck. They person been interviewed and are not required to stay successful Italy - but authorities opportunity they expect them to afloat cooperate pinch nan probe.

Prosecutors opportunity they want nan Bayesian to beryllium raised from nan h2o truthful nan wreck tin beryllium examined but work for this lies pinch nan ship's owners. 

The 185ft British-flagged yacht sank successful nan early hours of Monday after, investigators believe, it was struck by a downburst, a convulsive downward plume of upwind often mistaken for tornadoes and commonly created during thunderstorms.

The emergency services were alerted soon aft 4.30am - but by nan clip they had arrived, nan vessel had already sunk. 

The clip taken by rescue services to scope nan wreck will besides shape portion of nan investigation - though authorities said coming nan sinking had been highly rapid.

The unit of a adjacent Dutch sailing ship, nan Sir Robert Baden Powell, were capable to nonstop a liferaft to rescue 15 of nan 22 group connected board. Among nan survivors was British female Charlotte Golunski and her one-year-old daughter, who she held aloft successful nan water.

Mr Cartosio added that it quickly became evident to those who witnessed nan disaster it would beryllium 'impossible' to prevention those still trapped successful nan yacht arsenic it sank to nan oversea bed.

He told reporters: 'The Public Prosecutor's Office of Termini Imerese has registered a record pinch nan authorities against chartless persons, hypothesising nan crimes of negligent shipwreck and aggregate negligent manslaughter.'

He added: 'Generally a charismatic is ne'er satisfied to springiness this accusation astatine this stage, precisely because developments could change. 

'We cannot exclude thing astatine each but what, location has been a batch of media liking pinch regards to nan group who were involved. But astatine nan aforesaid clip I judge it is correct to expect developments of this enquiry tin beryllium very variable.' 

There had been questions arsenic to why it had taken truthful agelong for Italian authorities to pass nan nationalist successful item of its rescue operations.

Mr Cartosio told reporters Italian civilian codes had prevented him from releasing much accusation astir nan hunt while it took place, highlighting that he personally believed it created 'notable obstacles' to transparency pinch nan public.

However, nan property convention was staged because of nan awesome world liking successful nan disaster - and because of nan high-profile identities of nan victims.  

Mr Lynch and his daughter, alongside Morgan Stanley International slope president Jonathan Bloomer, his woman Judy Bloomer, Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo and his woman Neda Morvillo were mislaid erstwhile nan yacht sank astatine astir 5am section clip connected Monday.

The assemblage of Canadian-Antiguan nationalist Recaldo Thomas, who was moving arsenic a cook connected nan superyacht, was recovered astatine nan segment of nan sinking connected Monday. 

Their bodies were taken to nan adjacent colony of Porticello, astir 11 miles from Sicilian superior Palermo. 

Rear Admiral Raffaele Macauda, maritime head of occidental Sicily confirmed Thomas' assemblage was recovered adjacent to nan ship.

Mr Fiandra, nan occurrence work commander, added that it had taken clip to find nan different bodies because of nan complexities of reaching a vessel 50 metres below, nan size of nan yacht itself, and nan deficiency of visibility truthful acold from nan surface.

'Over 4 days to person obtained nan consequence we person obtained? Let's opportunity that represents really master these divers were,' he said.

There is nary timeline for erstwhile nan yacht whitethorn beryllium recovered from nan h2o to assistance pinch nan ongoing investigation. 

'We want to beryllium capable to retrieve nan wreck successful coordination pinch nan charismatic because location will beryllium inquiries and they person shown nan will to retrieve nan wreck,' Rear Admiral Macauda said. 

'We carried retired an bonzer cognition and everyone worked successful an astonishing way. But this is simply a very sad infinitesimal arsenic 7 quality lives person been lost.'

He later added: 'What of people we wanted to do is prevention quality lives astatine sea. That's why we carried connected pinch nan hunt from nan surface. We were still hoping to find personification alive.'

The main mobility investigators are focusing connected is really a sailing alloy deemed 'unsinkable' by its manufacturer, Italian shipyard Perini Navi, sank while a adjacent sailboat remained mostly unscathed.

A full of 27 divers, including 11 cave experts and 8 heavy oversea divers, were called successful to assistance pinch nan hunt crossed 72 full hours of searching underwater crossed 123 dives. 

In a statement, nan family of Mr Lynch and Hannah said: 'The Lynch family is devastated, successful daze and is being comforted and supported by family and friends.

'Their thoughts are pinch everyone affected by nan tragedy.

'They would for illustration to sincerely convey nan Italian coastguard, emergency services and each those who helped successful nan rescue.

'Their 1 petition now is that their privateness beryllium respected astatine this clip of unspeakable grief.'

The Lynch family besides issued a photograph of Mr Lynch and Hannah alongside their tribute.

Hannah's sister Esme paid her ain tribute, saying: 'Hannah often burst into my chamber and laic down pinch me.

'Sometimes beaming pinch a smile, sometimes cheeky, sometimes for advice.

'No matter what, she brought boundless emotion to me.

'She was endlessly caring, passionately mad, unintentionally hilarious and nan astir amazing, supportive and joyful sister and champion friend to me.

'And connected apical of each this, she had moreover much emotion to springiness endlessly to each her friends and passion to springiness to her unthinkable studies and goals.

'She is my small angel, my star.'

Vincenzo Zagarola, of nan Italian Coastguard, said nan hunt for Hannah was not 'easy aliases quick', comparing nan sunken yacht to an '18-storey building afloat of water'.

The bodies of each six missing passengers person now been brought to statement successful nan mini sportfishing colony of Porticello, astir 11 miles from nan Sicilian superior of Palermo.

Of nan 22 passengers and unit connected board, 15, including Mr Lynch's wife, Angela Bacares, were rescued aft escaping connected to a lifeboat. She owns nan yacht done a backstage company.

The vessel travel was a ceremony of Mr Lynch's acquittal successful a fraud lawsuit successful nan US.

The businessman, who founded package elephantine Autonomy successful 1996, was cleared successful June of carrying retired a monolithic fraud relating to its 11 cardinal dollar (£8.64 billion) waste to US institution Hewlett Packard.

The Mail reported past nighttime that Hewlett Packard has refused to norm retired pursuing Mr Lynch's family complete a ineligible case. 

His decease past week intends his family could beryllium liable for immoderate payout decided by nan judge, who is expected to norm connected damages earlier nan extremity of nan year.

A root adjacent to nan lawsuit said: 'It is pinch nan judge. We are waiting to perceive from him. There is nary determination to beryllium made until he makes his decision.' A spokesperson for Hewlett-Packard Enterprise, asked if it would norm retired pursuing Dr Lynch's property for damages, said: 'We do not deliberation it due to remark connected ineligible matters successful these tragic circumstances.'