Sicily Yacht Tragedy: Autopsy Reveals Passengers Christopher and Neda Morvillo Drowned Together
New details continue to surface about the Sicily superyacht tragedy.
More than a week after a luxury yacht sank off the coast off the Italian city Aug. 19, spouses Christopher Morvillo and Neda Morvillo were confirmed to have died of drowning together, Italian news organization ANSA confirmed via autopsies Sept. 2.
Christopher and Neda—who were reported missing alongside along with British tech magnate Mike Lynch, his daughter Hannah, Morgan Stanley International Chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy Bloomer had been missing until Aug. 22—exhibited “no signs of trauma,” ANSA reported of the autopsy conducted by Antonella Argo, and there are “no other causes linked” to their deaths.
The remaining autopsies of the passengers have yet to be conducted. Jonathan and Judy’s autopsy will be performed on Sept. 4, while Michael and his daughter’s autopsy, as well as cook Recaldo Thomas—whose body was found Aug. 20—have not been assigned.
There were 22 people in total—12 guests and 10 crew members—aboard the 184-foot Bayesian prior to its Aug. 19 sinking. The incident, which has been described by maritime experts as anomalous, occurred at around 5 a.m. local time due to harsh weather conditions, including a waterspout, Salvo Cocina of Sicily's civil protection agency told NBC.
Cocina told reporters of the event, “They were in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
The captain of the ship, James Cutfield, is now under investigation for manslaughter, his lawyer confirmed to NBC News. He has yet to be charged with any crime, and the investigation does not suggest that any charges will follow.
Meanwhile, Giovanni Costantino, the founder and CEO of The Italian Sea Group who built the superyacht in 2008, emphasized the tragedy occurred because of an “endless chain of errors from the crew.”
"It was all predictable,” he told Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera Aug. 21, in an interview translated from Italian. “I have the weather charts here in front of me. Ask yourself: why were no fishermen from Porticello out that night? A fisherman reads the weather conditions and a ship doesn’t? The storm was fully legible in all the weather charts. It couldn't have been ignored.”
Now, the families and friends of the seven who died are mourning the immeasurable losses.
"She is my little angel, my star," Hannah’s older sister Esme, whose mom Angela Bacares was among the 15 survivors, shared in a statement obtained by Sky News. "She had even more love to give endlessly to all her friends and passion to give to her incredible studies and goals."
Esme also recalled heartfelt memories with her sister—who was set to attend Oxford University in the fall—noting she’d often “burst” into her room with a smile to lay down with her or ask for advice.
“No matter what, she brought boundless love to me,” Esme continued. “She was endlessly caring, passionately mad, unintentionally hilarious and the most amazing, supportive and joyful sister and best friend to me.”
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