Investigation opens into key detail that ‘caused superyacht to sink’ as main theory emerges

An investigation into the main theory around how the luxury Bayesian yacht managed to sink so quickly has begun.

The superyacht, which is owned by UK tech mogul Mike Lynch capsized off the coast Sicily on 19 August is believed by Italian authorities to have been hit by a waterspout - which is similar to a tornado - during a storm.

After being struck, the yacht capsized and went down within a matter of minutes.

Rescuers were able to save 15 people in the immediate aftermath of the disaster while six more individuals - which includes Lynch, his 18-year-old daughter Hannah and a Morgan Stanley boss - are yet to be found.

The body of a man believed to be the yacht's chef Recaldo Thomas has since been recovered by rescuers.

The Italian coastguard later confirmed to Sky News that the body was that of Thomas.

As the search for the remaining six passengers enters its pivotal third day, Italian investigators are now exploring the theory that the yacht was able to sink so quickly due to portholes and hatches being left open.

Investigators are also said to be looking at whether or not appropriate measures were taken by crew, given the forecast for bad weather overnight.

This theory has since been backed by Sam Jefferson, the editor of Sailing Today, who said that having multiple windows and hatches open would've impacted how quickly water was able to enter the boat.

"I would have said that the boat got hit very hard by the wind, it was pinned over on its side," he said.

Rescuers continue their search where the yacht sank. (ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images)

"I imagine all the doors were open because it was hot, so there were enough hatches and doors open that it filled with water very quickly and sank like that."

He added: "The reason it got pinned over so hard was because the mast is huge."

Milan Polytechnic's Andrea Ratti, who is a nautical design professor at the University, also told the Daily Mail that a boat the size of the Bayesian would need to take on a huge amount of water in order to sink.

Meanwhile, rescuers are yet to rule out the idea that the six missing passengers may still be alive due to 'air pockets' inside the sunken yacht.

Speaking to the BBC, the brother of Morgan Stanley boss Jonathan Bloomer said: "It’s a slow process and it will take time. So there might be air pockets, but we don’t know.

"It’s still wait and see, so fingers crossed."

Bloomer's comments about air pockets have since been backed up by engineering expert Dr Jean-Baptiste Souppez, who told Sky News that a vessel which sunk at the speed which then Bayesian did 'could favour the formation of small air pockets inside'.

However, he went on to add: "This is obviously highly speculative and impossible to predict accurately."