Autopsies Reveal Italy Luxury Yacht Victims Died of ‘Dry Drowning’: Explaining the Condition

Autopsies conducted on four of the seven people who lost their lives after the Bayesian super yacht sank off Sicily revealed ‘dry drowning’ as the cause of death.

‘Dry drowning’ is a condition where the water does not enter the lungs when a person is drowning. The water enters the nose or the mouth and causes the contraction of the vocal cords, restricting the flow of air into the lungs.

What Is ‘Dry Drowning’?

‘Dry drowning,’ also referred to as “atypical drowning,” is used to describe conditions in which patients’ conditions worsened after a drowning rescue or who had very little water in the lungs.

The seven people who perished on the luxury yacht Bayesian, which sank in a storm while moored about half a mile off the coast of Porticello, Sicily, included Morgan Stanley International Bank Chairman Jonathan Bloomer, his wife Judy Bloomer, technology tycoon Mike Lynch, his daughter Hannah, Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo, and his wife Neda Morvillo.

The autopsies conducted on the four victims also suggested that they were trapped in an air pocket in the cabin where five of the victims’ bodies were discovered.

Experts contend that the victims had consumed all the oxygen before the air in the pocket turned poisonous due to carbon dioxide.

The autopsies of the four victims—Morgan Stanley banker Jonathan Bloomer, his wife Anne Elizabeth Judith Bloomer, American lawyer Chris Morvillo, and his wife Neda Morvillo—were conducted at the Forensic Medicine Institute of the Palermo Polyclinic Hospital.

Autopsies of British tech baron Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter will be carried out on Friday.

While, the autopsy of the ship’s onboard chef, Recaldo Thomas, could not be carried out because his family could not be reached in Antigua.

The autopsies are part of an ongoing investigation launched against the ship’s captain, James Cutfield, the ship’s machine engineer, Tim Parker Eaton, and sailor Matthew Griffith, who were operating the yacht on the fateful day of the accident.

The investigation is centred on the charges of multiple manslaughters and causing a shipwreck.

However, the authorities have clarified that this does not mean that the individuals will be charged with any crimes, and they have been allowed to leave the country.

What has baffled the authorities is the fact that the 56-meter yacht sank within 16 minutes of being struck by a downburst or tornado on the early morning of August 19.

The yacht, built by Italian high-end yacht manufacturer Perini, should have withstood the storm.

Additionally, the super yacht is scheduled to be raised from the sea for further investigations and to prevent 18,000 litres of fuel from leaking into the sea.

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