Captain and engineer of Mike Lynch’s family yacht are reportedly both under investigation over sinking off Italy

Rome — The luxury engineer Superyacht sank off Sicilykilling a British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch The yacht’s captain and his 18-year-old daughter, along with five others, have been indicted by Italian prosecutors, as has the ship’s captain, according to Reuters and ANSA news agencies. CBS News could not immediately reach prosecutors or lawyers for the Bayesian yacht’s crew members to confirm the report, which comes about a week and a half after the ship sank on Aug. 19.

Engineer Tim Parker Eaton reportedly placed under official surveillance investigation for possible involuntary manslaughter and a culpable shipwreck a few days after the captain of the 184-foot Bayesian yacht, James Cutler, whose lawyers confirmed that he was the subject of the investigation.

After meeting with prosecutors for several days, Cutler, a 51-year-old New Zealander, declined to answer further questions, his lawyer said Wednesday.

“The captain exercised his right to remain silent for two fundamental reasons,” lawyer Giovanni Rizzuti told reporters. “First, he is very exhausted. Second, we were appointed only on Monday and for a complete and correct defense we need to acquire a set of data that we do not have at the moment.”

Lynch and her daughter Hannah, 18, were among the passengers and a crew member who perished when the superyacht sank rapidly during a violent storm in the early hours of August 19. The capsizing of the high-tech vessel quickly raised questions because another yacht that had been anchored nearby, off Palermo, came through the storm unscathed.

Fifteen people, including Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, managed to escape in a life raft and were rescued by another boat that was nearby.

According to Italian media reports, investigators are investigating whether the Eaton engineer may have neglected to activate safety systems designed to automatically close all of the ship’s hatches, leaving the engine room flooded and possibly causing a power outage and the subsequent rapid flooding of the entire yacht.

Under Italian law, being placed under investigation does not necessarily mean that formal charges will be brought.

At a news conference Saturday, prosecutors said the investigation would require the wreck of the Bayesian to be recovered from the seafloor, where it currently lies at a depth of about 160 feet.

Chief prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio said his team would work to determine whether the captain, other crew members or the yacht’s manufacturers bear any responsibility for the sinking.