Autopsies of victims who died in superyacht sinking reveal cause of death was not by drowning

Initial autopsies of four of the seven victims who died during the Bayesian superyacht sinking last month reveal that they died from 'dry drowning', according to reports.

The 160-foot yacht, the Bayesian capsized early morning on August 19 after being caught in a violent storm that caused it to sink within 16 minutes.

There were 22 people on board, including 12 passengers and 10 crew members.

15 people were rescued while seven passed away. Those killed in the sinking included British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his teenage daughter Hannah, Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy, lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda, and the yacht's chef Recaldo Thomas.

The yacht sank last month. (ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images)

Per CNN, the autopsies for four of the victims revealed that they had no water in their lungs, tracheas, or stomachs, with investigators believing that they died from 'dry drowning' or 'atypical drowning.'

The cause of death of the four victims suggests that they had found an air pocket in one of the ship's cabins, but had consumed all the oxygen in the air bubble consequently making it toxic due to carbon dioxide per Italian newspaper La Repubblica.

The lack of water in their bodies suggests they died from a depletion of oxygen rather than a typical drowning.

Rescue operations were swiftly set in motion. (ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images)

According to CNN, officials shared that the autopsies for Morvillo, Neda, Bloomer, and Judy were carried out on Wednesday at the Forensic Medicine Institute of the Palermo Polyclinic hospital.

The autopsies for Lynch and his daughter are expected to be carried out on Friday. Thomas' autopsy has still not been scheduled due to the difficulty of reaching his family in Antigua.

All seven victims were scanned for injuries last Saturday, but none suffered from broken bones or any other physical injuries that could have contributed to their deaths.

Autopsies suggest four of the victims died from a depletion of oxygen. (ALESSANDRO FUCARINI/AFP via Getty Images)

The autopsies are taking place as part of a criminal investigation into the yacht's captain James Cutfield, machine engineer Tim Parker Eaton, and sailor Matthew Griffith who was on watch the night of the sinking.

The three men are being investigated for 'multiple manslaughter' and for potentially causing a shipwreck. However, authorities say this doesn't necessarily mean they will be charged with any crimes.

The Bayesian is still currently underwater but will eventually have to be raised as part of the investigation and to ensure that its fuel doesn't leak into the surrounding sea.

The ship's salvage will reportedly be paid for by the company of Lynch's wife, who survived the shipwreck, Angela Bacares.