Authorities have questioned for over
two hours Rosalinda Orlando, who owns a shipyard in Porticello
and says she witnessed the Bayesian sink in front of the coast
in the night of August 19.
The shipwreck killed seven people including the yacht's owner,
British magnate Mike Lynch.
In an interview published by Milan daily Corriere della Sera,
Orlando said she had gone to the shipyard on the night of the
shipwreck and saw the 56-metre-long luxury yacht "sway" in freak
weather conditions, "pulled by a dragging anchor" and heard the
sail "flap".
Investigators have questioned her, judging her testimony
relevant to the probe.
In particular, investigators wanted to determine whether the
sail had not been properly lowered, creating further instability
during the violent weather event that led to the ship sinking.
Orlando also said in the interview that she had told coast
guards the location chosen by Bayesian crew members to cast
anchor and spend the night was not a good one.
Temini Imerese prosecutors probing the shipwreck have placed
three crew members under investigation - captain James Cutfield,
from New Zealand, British ship engineer Tim Parker Eaton and
sailor Matthew Griffiths, who was on watch duty on the night the
Bayesian sank off the coast of Porticello near Palermo.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
