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The US Sun
Bayesian captain James Cutfield grilled for 2 HOURS as probe reveals ‘key mistake that may have caused ship to capsize’
By Henry Holloway,
5 hours ago
CAPTAIN of the doomed Bayesian superyacht James Cutfield was grilled by cops for over two hours as rescuers have discovered a possibly fatal mistake made onboard.
Divers found that the keel, a crucial part of the boat’s structure which helps keep it balanced, had been raised when the yacht was anchored off shore.
James Cutfield was the captain of the Bayesian The ‘Bayesian’ superyacht, in Palermo, Sicily, before it sank Divers plunge into the waters near the site of the wreck on Tuesday Officials pour over designs of the boat @/vigilidelfuoco/
Captain Cutfield, 51, managed to escape from the vessel as it plunged to the bottom of the ocean and is recovering in hospital, his brother revealed today.
Six passengers are still missing including the “UK’s Bill Gates” Mike Lynch and his daughter Hannah, 18.
Cutfield, from New Zealand, was one of the 15 survivors of the boat that sank in a storm off the coast of Porticello, Sicily.
He admitted that the crew “didn’t see it coming’ when the water tornado struck the boat in the early hours.
Police, who have been interviewing survivors from the tragedy, questioned him for several hours about the disaster, Giornale Di Sicilia reports.
It comes as divers have discovered that the boat’s keel was raised as they explore the intact wreck on the bottom of seabed.
The keel operates as the main structural backbone of the yacht, filled with heavy materials, keeping it balanced and helping it to correct in stormy waters.
Dan Green, Research & Investigations lead at eSysman SuperYachts, told The Mirror that if the keel was raised this would harm the boat’s stability and could explain why it sank so quickly.
He said: “The keel when lowered increases the stability of the vessel.
“When raised, this reduces stability as the centre of gravity is raised, as the keel is also weighted with lead.
“Another effect of the keel being in the up position is the vessel will not self-right if it leans far over.
“If you add to that the possibility of hatches being opened on the vessel that would explain why it’s saying [sinking] so quickly.”
Cutfield had captained luxury yachts for eight years and had previously worked on building them for 30 years.
Before working for Mr Lynch, he worked for a Turkish billionaire.
Italian media originally named him as “Catfield” – before his family corrected his name in the press in New Zealand.
His wife Cristina has flown to be with him in Italy.
It comes as…
‘UK’s Bill Gates’ Mike Lynch & his daughter Hannah, 18, remain missing on the wreck
One expert at the scene in Sicily told reporters an early focus would be on whether the access hatches into the vessel were closed before the tornado struck.
Luca Mercalli, president of the Italian Meteorological Society, also said that, in light of the weather warnings, the crew should have woken the guests and given them life jackets.
Prosecutors will also examine whether measures such as the use of yacht’s retractable keel, which adds extra stability and acts as a counterweight to the large mast, were deployed.
Rescuers operate the underwater drone robot from the surface Guardia Costeria Italian emergency services this morning
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