Family of ‘friendly’ chef killed in Bayesian superyacht tragedy ‘want justice for his death and will seek a payout’
THE family of a chef who was killed in the Bayesian superyacht tragedy wants “justice” for his death.
Recaldo Thomas, 59, was among the seven people who died after Brit billionaire Mike Lynch’s yacht sank off the coast of Sicily during a storm last year.
Recaldo’s family are now seeking compensation for his tragic death – and they could be in line for a $40 million payout.
The chef’s sister-in-law Joycelyn Palmer told MailOnline: “We just want justice and yes, we will be looking at compensation, someone must pay for what happened.”
Last week a report detailing the “vulnerability” of the yacht revealed how the tragedy unfolded.
A thorough investigation has shown that the ship was likely knocked over by “extreme wind” and was not able to recover.
But Palmer believes the yacht’s 236ft mast may have also played a part in the tragic sinking.
Recaldo’s sister-in-law said: “I looked up the yacht and when I saw the mast I just thought that must have something to do with what happened.
“You can even see it in one of the last pictures he sent us.”
She also claimed the crew were at fault as they had taken the weather for granted and didn’t alert the captain until it was “too late”.
Palmer recalled the emotional turmoil the family experienced in the aftermath of the tragedy.
She said it took six long weeks to get Recaldo’s body, meaning they were unable to have an open-casket funeral and say their goodbyes properly.
Palmer described her brother-in-law as a lovely man who had a heart of gold and an infectious smile.
The family’s lawyer said they were looking at a US lawsuit against “various entities”.
They added that a $40million pay-out would not be out of the question for the “emotional loss”.
Recaldo was among seven passengers who died when the 184ft yacht capsized and sank on August 19.
Anchored off the coast of Porticello Harbour in Palermo, a downburst of stormy winds hit the boat causing it to topple.
It sunk to the sea floor in minutes and prompted a huge five-day search operation with specialist divers, underwater drones and helicopters.
Recaldo was found dead near the wreck site on August 19, but it took several more days to recover six missing guests including the Brit billionaire and his daughter.
New York lawyer Chris Morvillo and wife Neda also died, as did Morgan Stanley international chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy.
Just two months before the disaster, Lynch had been cleared of carrying out a massive fraud over the sale of his software firm Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard in 2011.
The boat trip was a celebration of his acquittal in the case in the US.
An interim report by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch revealed last week that the yacht had a “vulnerability” to lighter winds which the owner and crew may not have known about.
Andrew Moll, chief inspector of marine accidents, said: “The findings indicate that the extreme wind experienced by Bayesian was sufficient to knock the yacht over.
“Further, once the yacht had heeled beyond an angle of 70° the situation was irrecoverable.
“The results will be refined as the investigation proceeds, and more information becomes available.”
The salvage operation for the superyacht is officially underway.
Floating cranes, remote-controlled robots, and specialist divers amongst other marine experts are all helping to recovery the vessel.
But the operation had to be put on pause just days after it started when a diver died.
The diver, who is thought to be a Dutch national, reportedly died when working 160ft below the ocean alongside other recovery workers to cut the boom of the yacht.
After an unsuccessful attempt trying to cut the section, the divers are believed to have used a blow torch.
Local media speculated that the man was hit by part of the cut boom as it came off whilst he was underwater.
But police said they have launched a probe to understand what exactly caused the man’s death.
According to other local media reports, an underwater explosion was heard by at least one person before the man was found dead.
Inside the Bayesian's final 16 minutes
By Ellie Doughty, Foreign News Reporter
Data recovered from the Bayesian’s Automatic Identification System (AIS) breaks down exactly how it sank in a painful minute-by-minute timeline.
At 3.50am on Monday August 19 the Bayesian began to shake “dangerously” during a fierce storm, Italian outlet Corriere revealed.
Just minutes later at 3.59am the boat’s anchor gave way, with a source saying the data showed there was “no anchor left to hold”.
After the ferocious weather ripped away the boat’s mooring it was dragged some 358 metres through the water.
By 4am it had began to take on water and was plunged into a blackout, indicating that the waves had reached its generator or even engine room.
At 4.05am the Bayesian fully disappeared underneath the waves.
An emergency GPS signal was finally emitted at 4.06am to the coastguard station in Bari, a city nearby, alerting them that the vessel had sunk.
Early reports suggested the disaster struck around 5am local time off the coast of Porticello Harbour in Palermo, Sicily.
The new data pulled from the boat’s AIS appears to suggest it happened an hour earlier at around 4am.
Some 15 of the 22 onboard were rescued, 11 of them scrambling onto an inflatable life raft that sprung up on the deck.
A smaller nearby boat – named Sir Robert Baden Powell – then helped take those people to shore.