CEO of company that made sunken yacht in ‘disbelief’ as he claims vessel was ‘unsinkable’
The CEO of The Italian Sea Group has spoken out following the devastating sinking of a superyacht carrying 22 people off the coast of Italy.
The Italian Sea Group own the firm Perini Navi, who built the Bayesian - the 543 tonne yacht that sank earlier this week - in 2008.
The 56-meter long vessel, which boasts the world's tallest aluminium mast, was refurbished in 2020.
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On Monday (August 19), the Bayesian was out at sea in Sicily when a sudden and powerful storm struck, causing the yacht to capsize.
The storm was so violent that it caused waterspouts, or rotating columns of air and mist, to appear over the sea, BBC News reports.
15 passengers onboard went on to be saved by emergency services, but sadly six people have been confirmed to have died while one other remains missing.
One body that's been identified is that of 'British Bill Gates', Mike Lynch.
It was confirmed today (August 22) that the tech tycoon's body had been recovered, but his 18-year-old daughter Hannah still remains missing.
As the search for the remaining missing passengers continues, The Italian Sea Group CEO Giovanni Costantino has spoken out and labeled the superyacht as 'unsinkable'.
"Being the manufacturer of Perini [boats], I know very well how the boats have always been designed and built," he told Sky News.
"And as Perini is a sailing ship... sailing ships are renowned to be the safest ever."
Costantino added that their structure and keel made them 'unsinkable bodies'.
Addressing Monday's tragedy, the millionaire went on: "This incident sounds like an unbelievable story, both technically and as a fact."
He added that the sinking 'put me in a state of sadness on one side and of disbelief on the other'.
CCTV footage of the the storm hitting the yacht has been released where the vessel is seen sinking beneath the waves in a matter of a seconds.
The video confirmed that 'nothing could be done' for the yacht and its passengers because it 'disappeared in a very short time'.
The captain of the ship (who survived the ordeal) has since admitted that he didn't see the storm coming before it hit the superyacht.
It's unclear if anything could have been done had he known the storm was approaching, however.
The yacht was moored about a half-mile offshore off Porticello near Palermo at the time the storm hit around 5am local time.
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Topics: News, Travel, World News, Bayesian yacht
Niamh Shackleton