The captain of the superyacht that sank in Italy last week, killing seven including British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his daughter, has been placed under investigation, according to reports.
James Cutfield, a 51-year-old New Zealand citizen, is being investigated for manslaughter and shipwreck, Reuters reported, citing a legal source. The investigation was first reported by Italian news outlets.
Being subject to investigation does not imply guilt or imply that formal charges will follow. Notifications to people who are under investigation are sent out before authorities can carry out autopsies.
Newsweek reached out to Cutfield for comment via social media on Monday.
The British-flagged Bayesian, a 56-metre (184 ft) yacht, was carrying 22 people when it sank off northern Sicily in the early morning of August 19, minutes after it was suddenly hit by a severe storm.
The investigative decision was made after Cutfield was questioned a second time, Reuters said.
Cutfield previously told the Italian newspaper The Republic that he didn’t see the storm coming.
Fifteen people survived, including the captain and Lynch’s wife, whose company owned Bayesian. Lynch’s 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, was among those who died. Morgan Stanley boss Jonathan Bloomer and his wife were also among the dead.
This latest news article will be updated.
