Mike Lynch yacht sinking victims 'suffocated in air pocket' as three suspects probed

The tragic demise of individuals who were aboard a superyacht that sank off the Sicilian coast is reported to have been due to suffocation in an air pocket as oxygen depleted. Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy, along with Chris and Neda Morvillo, were among the seven unfortunate victims when the €35.6 million yacht Bayesian went under.

They were accompanying tech billionaire Mike Lynch on a voyage when they encountered a severe storm near Porticello, close to Palermo, on 19th August. Mr Lynch, his 18 year old daughter Hannah, and the yacht's chef Recaldo Thomas also tragically lost their lives in the incident.

Morgan Stanley executive Mr Bloomer and his wife reportedly suffocated as the oxygen supply dwindled. Post-mortem examinations of the couple, as well as Mr Morvillo, an employee of renowned law firm Clifford Chance, and his wife, reportedly found no water in their lungs.

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This indicates that they may have perished as their cabins filled with carbon dioxide, according to Italian media reports.

Divers who retrieved the bodies reportedly discovered them on the port side of the cabins, which investigators believe suggests they were seeking the last pockets of air as the vessel tilted to starboard post-sinking. No signs of injuries have been found on the four victims examined so far.

Mr Lynch's wife Angela Bacares was among the 14 survivors. Post-mortem examinations on Mr Lynch, his daughter, and Mr Thomas are scheduled for today.

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The trip had been organised to celebrate Mr Lynch's acquittal of fraud charges in June .

The boat's skipper, Kiwi James Cutfield, and two Brits, engineer Tim Parker Eaton and crew member Matthew Griffiths, are being investigated for suspected multiple manslaughter and culpable shipwreck.

Mr Parker Eaton has reportedly refuted claims that external doors were left open on the night of the storm, which allegedly allowed water to flood the engine room.