Four victims of Bayesian collapse suffocated in an air bubble

Four people who died when the Bayesian superyacht sank off the coast of Sicily last month suffocated after running out of oxygen in an air bubble in which they were trapped, Italian news agency Ansa reported.

Bank manager Jonathan Bloomer, his wife Judy Bloomer, and lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda Morvillo were among the seven people who lost their lives when the ship sank during a violent storm.

Autopsies revealed that none of them had water in their lungs, suggesting they did not drown, reports say.

Also killed in the incident were British technology entrepreneur Mike Lynch, his 18-year-old daughter Hannah Lynch and the yacht's chef, Recaldo Thomas.

The group was traveling on the yacht after Lynch was acquitted of fraud charges in the United States earlier this year.

Investigators believe that the cabin in which the four were found filled with carbon dioxide as the oxygen supply decreased, leading to their deaths.

According to Italian media reports, divers involved in recovering the bodies found the victims on the left side of the cabins, suggesting they had been trying to reach the last remaining air pockets as the ship tilted to the right as it sank.

There were no visible external injuries on the four victims either.

The remaining autopsies of Mr Lynch, his daughter Hannah and Mr Thomas are expected to take place in the next few days.

Mr Lynch's wife, Angela Bacares, survived the incident along with 14 others on board.

While the investigation continues, the superyacht is being lifted from the seabed.

The Italian public prosecutor's office has opened an investigation on suspicion of manslaughter and is investigating the boat's captain, James Cutfield, and two British crew members, Tim Parker Eaton and Matthew Griffiths.

An investigation is not the same as an indictment; rather, it is a procedural step.

The investigation will also examine whether negligence, such as leaving external doors open, may have contributed to the yacht's sinking.