Attempts to refloat tech tycoon Mike Lynch’s superyacht from the seabed have been paused after the death of a “highly respected” salvage diver off the coast of northern Sicily.
Billionaire entrepreneur Mr Lynch, 59, and his daughter Hannah, 18, were among seven people who died when the 56-metre (184ft) Bayesian sank off the coast of Palermo on August 19.
The vessel currently rests 49 meters (160 feet) below the surface.
The diver, a 39-year-old Dutch national, died on Saturday, according to a spokesman for the company overseeing the operation.
The diver, who had been working for maritime salvage agency Hebo Maritiemservice, was pulled to the surface, where medics on board the Hebo 2 and Hebo 10 support ships tried to resuscitate him.
Italian-based AGI news agency said the man was hit by a piece of metal as divers were cutting the boom – the horizontal pole attached to the vertical mast of the ship – from the wreck of the Bayesian, but police insist that the precise cause of death is still unknown.
A spokesperson for TMC Marine, the UK-based marine consultancy leading the salvage effort, confirmed the death in a statement.
“This pause in activity is necessary for the investigations to be completed and to allow all salvage and associated teams to mourn the tragic loss of a highly respected salvage diver during yesterday’s underwater work.”
The Independent has approached Hebo Maritiemservice for comment.
The attempt to lift the yacht off the seabed is expected later this month and should help shed light on how a supposedly unsinkable vessel disappeared into the sea.
Hebo Lift 2, a multi-purpose floating barge equipped with diving and remotely-operated underwater vehicle systems and a support tug, arrived at the site, near the port of the fishing village Porticello, on Saturday.
A detailed analysis of the Bayesian and the surrounding seabed has since confirmed there has been no change to the superyacht’s condition since the previous inspection, meaning plans to raise the vessel can now go ahead.
An inquest has been opened into the deaths of Mr Lynch and his daughter, as well as Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer, 70, and his wife, Judy Bloomer, 71, who were all British nationals.
US lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda Morvillo, and Canadian-Antiguan national Recaldo Thomas, who was working as a chef on the vessel, also died in the sinking.
Fifteen people, including Mr Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, were rescued.
Mr Lynch and his daughter were said to have lived in the vicinity of London, and the Bloomers lived in Sevenoaks in Kent.
The tycoon founded software giant Autonomy in 1996 and was cleared in June last year of fraud charges relating to the sale of the firm to Hewlett-Packard (HP) in 2011.
The boat trip was a celebration of his acquittal in the case in the US.
