Chilling photo of Bayesian minutes before superyacht sank reveals key clue to solving mystery of disaster that killed 7

A CHILLING final photo of the doomed Bayesian superyacht has revealed a key clue about its fate.

The tragic snap was taken by a passenger onboard a yacht nearby moments before the vessel sank off the coast of Sicily on August 19.

The photo of the yacht was taken 14 minutes before it sank

Billionaire Mike Lynch and his daughter Hannah died onboard the Bayesian

Seven people died after the £14m vessel capsized off the coast of Sicily

The photograph appears to show the door in the hull was closed contradicting initial claims the crew had left it open by mistake, allowing water to flood the yacht.

Two photographs – set to be published in an ITV documentary broadcast – were taken by a passenger onboard the Sir Robert Baden Powell, a yacht anchored just feet away from the Bayesian.

It was taken only 14 minutes before the superyacht was caught up in a storm before capsizing and sinking to the sea floor.

Seven people died in the tragedy including Brit billionaire Mike Lynch and his daughter Hannah along with yacht chef Recaldo Thomas.

Three crew members are being investigated in Sicily, accused of leaving open the door at the rear port side causing water to enter the yacht and flood it.

The captain of the doomed Bayesian, James Cutfield, 51, is being investigated for manslaughter.

Kiwi Cutfield, along with two other members of his crew, are being investigated by Italian authorities for culpable shipwreck and multiple manslaughter.

The photos were supplied by Sir Robert Baden Powell Karsten Borner who told the German newspaper Der Spiegel that he was irritated by repeated attempts by the ship’s builder to pin the blame on the crew, The Times report.

It comes after the boss of the Perini Navi company which built the Bayesian Giovanni Costantino, branded the boat “unsinkable” and slammed the crew  for making key “mistakes” and failing to “close the doors and hatches.”  

Mr Costantino told The Sun in August : “Modern sailing ships, especially high-tech ones like the Perini, are designed to be extremely safe and stable.

“Even in very critical conditions, if procedures are followed, a sailing yacht like the Bayesian will return to an upright position.

“However, if the ship takes on water, this stability is compromised.

“Where the water entered will be determined by the investigators.

“What is certain is that the ship took on hundreds of thousands of litres of water.”

He added: “The crew did not handle the adverse weather conditions properly and did not follow the correct procedures to ensure safety.

Of the 22 onboard, 15 survived with 11 including Mike Lynch’s wife rescued on an inflatable life raft.

Lynch’s 18-year-old daughter Hannah was the last passenger to be discovered in the third cabin.

Borner recalled the moment the Bayesian disappeared, in an interview for the ITV doc The Sinking of a Superyacht — How Safe Is Your Voyage?

“My first mate said, ‘she has gone, she has sunk’, and I was laughing at him, saying such a big thing doesn’t disappear in a minute. He was right.”

The Bayesian sank off the coast of Sicily on August 19

James Cutfield, 51, is being investigated for manslaughter