Bayesian shipwreck raises doubts about safety compromise

Last Updated: September 4, 2024

Il disastro del Bayesian, dall'Inghilterra un team di specialisti per aiutare gli investigatori siciliani

The safety on board may have been “sacrificed” to allow the guests of the Bayesian to enjoy a cruise without too many inconveniences. The sinking in the sea of Porticello would have been the direct consequence of wrong choices made to not disturb the relaxation of the passengers. This was stated by Captain Kuba Szymanski, Secretary General of InterManager, the only worldwide organization representing the ship and crew management sector, who intervened together with Jan-Erik Kruse, a professional airline pilot and sailor.

“In our opinion – they write – life on board a superyacht is complicated. They are purchased and managed to offer entertainment: having the owner of the boat on board could potentially compromise the ability of the captain and crew to insist that maritime procedures are always respected.” Szymanski believes that the investigation should dispel doubts: “Instead of automatically blaming the crew for what they may not have done, we wonder if investigators will ever ask themselves some questions.” Investigated for culpable shipwreck and multiple manslaughter are Captain James Cutfield, Chief Engineer Tim Parker Eaton, and sailor Matthew Griffiths, the man at the helm at the time of the disaster.

The manager wondered “what was the crew observing during the night? Were any previous experiences remembered and did the situation fit into a standard scenario? Were they trained to handle this situation and were clearly applicable procedures in place? Did the captain of the Bayesian and the captain of the nearby ship expect a waterspout, a tornado, or an explosion? What did the designer and the company managing it do to ensure that as many risks as possible were eliminated? And finally, would this boat have been safer if there was another captain on board?”, are the questions posed by Szymanski and Kruse that the magistrates of the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Termini Imerese will have to answer.