Wreck of sunken $30m yacht Bayesian to be examined

The 321-foot yacht sank in the Mediterranean on April 4, 2021, killing all three passengers on board.

The wreck, located nearly 2,000 feet below the surface, will be examined by a team from the Navy's seabed exploration vessel, the USNS Grasp. The expedition will seek to determine the cause of the accident and explore the vessel, which was built at a cost of $30m. The owner, Robert Sarrington, and the families of the other two passengers, Anthony Solomon and Beverly Spicer, are awaiting the results.

Previous investigations

The initial report from the Italian Navy, which responded to the accident, found that the yacht hit a semi-submerged object about 2,000 feet off the coast of Corsica.

A second investigation by the Maltese Maritime Authority concluded that the Bayesian's skipper, Giovanni Passarelli, was sailing too fast for the conditions and failed to give way to another boat despite having the right of way.

The Grasp's mission

If the team can determine the cause of the accident, it will be the first time that an extensive investigation has taken place into a superyacht wreck. This is the first time that the USNS Grasp has been deployed in the Mediterranean.