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The rare "black swan" weather event is believed to have possibly led to the Bayesian superyacht sinking earlier this week, maritime experts told the Times UK.
A spontaneous tornado-like waterspout would have suddenly struck the luxury vessel, resulting in the death of one person and disappearance of six others.
“That water carries significant weight,” said Matthew Schanck, chairman of the Maritime Search and Rescue Council. “And if the waterspout ends up dumping a load of that water on board the vessel, that’s going to cause significant damage.”
The 'Bayesian' was struck at around 5:00 a.m. local time on Monday (August 19) when the vessel was anchored about a half mile from the port of Porticello. Fifteen people, including the ship's captain, were rescued from the scene and one child was reported to have been airlifted to a Palermo children's hospital.
The 'Bayesian' flew the British flag as it was mostly comprised of British passengers and crew, as well as two Anglo-French, one New Zealander, one Irish and one Sri Lanken, the spokesperson said. The six missing individuals were reportedly comprised of four Britons and two Americans.
Twenty-two people were present on the boat at the time of the accident including 12 passengers and 10 crew members. The Italian Fire Brigade said its divers reached the hull of the yacht, which was located 160 feet below sea level, and dispatched helicopters for additional assistance during its ongoing search for the sunken ship and its passengers in a press statement obtained by CNN.