Two British Bayesian crew members under investigation

Tim Parker Eaton and Matthew Griffith to be questioned by Italian prosecutors after Mike Lynch’s superyacht sank off Sicily

Two British crew members of Mike Lynch’s sunken superyacht have been placed under investigation for multiple manslaughter and causing a shipwreck.
It comes after the captain of the £30 million Bayesian was put under investigation on Monday.
The inquiry into the tragedy has widened to Tim Parker Eaton, from Bedfordshire, who was in charge of the engine room, and Matthew Griffith, who was reportedly on watch when the yacht was hit by a violent storm and sank 16 minutes later.
Under the Italian legal system, being placed under investigation does not imply guilt and does not necessarily mean that charges will be made.
Seven people, including British tech tycoon Mr Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, died when the superyacht sank after it was struck by an extreme weather event known as a downburst about half a mile off the fishing town of Porticello, Sicily. Fifteen people survived, including Mr Lynch’s wife.
The captain, James Cutfield, a 51-year-old New Zealander, declined to answer prosecutors’ questions on Tuesday, invoking his legal right to remain silent.
He broke down in tears when he met investigators, according to Italian media reports, with Aldo Mordiglia, his lawyer, saying there were two reasons for Mr Cutfield’s decision not to respond to questions.
“He is understandably exhausted,” he said. “In addition, we were only appointed as his lawyers [on Monday] and we need to gather information, which we do not have yet, in order to prepare the defence.”
Supporters of Mr Cutfield in Majorca, where he lives with his wife, have launched a fundraising initiative for him and the crew. Mr Cutfield was reportedly well-known in yachting circles, as were other members of the crew mincluding Mr Thomas. So far, more than £6,800 has been raised.
Paul Madden, the expat behind the initiative, wrote: “I would like the yachting community and anyone else to donate to support the crew and the fellow crew member who sadly lost his life in the line of duty. 
“The funds will be shared equally amongst all of the crew to support them in the mental, physical and financial challenges that lie ahead. I hope the outcome of our help allows the crew to move forward with their lives and can rely on the support of our yachting community.”
Investigators want to establish what measures the crew took to raise the alarm and why the six passengers who died did not leave their cabins and escape to the deck in time.
Asked whether the passengers were warned of the approaching storm, Raffaele Cammarano, one of two prosecutors leading the case, said: “That’s precisely what we’re trying to ascertain from the statements made by the survivors.”
Investigators said the storm that hit the Bayesian about 4am local time on Aug 19 was “an extreme event” that happened “really, really suddenly”.
Prosecutors are scrutinising whether any hatches were left open and whether the keel was partially raised – which would have rendered the yacht much less stable.
Post-mortem examinations on the seven victims are expected to be carried out this week at an institute of forensic medicine in nearby Palermo.
Prosecutors say they want the wreck of the yacht to be raised from the seabed as soon as possible, as part of their investigation into how the disaster unfolded.