The action broadens the inquiry into the tragic shipwreck, for which the captain of the ship, James Cutfield, a New Zealander, is currently under investigation for potential manslaughter and culpable shipwreck charges.

Tim Parker Eaton, the engineer in charge of watching over the yacht’s engine room, and Matthew Griffith, a sailor on watch duty the night of the accident, are being investigated for similar possible charges since Wednesday, according to their attorney.

This picture taken from video released by the Italian Coast Guard on Monday, August 19, 2024, shows the rescue operations in the stretch of Sea near Palermo, Sicily, in southern Italy, where the sail yacht Bayasian under UK flag sank early Monday. (Italian Coast Guard via AP, HO) (AP)

“The profile of their possible responsibilities is still unclear, as the investigation has just started,” lawyer Mario Scopesi told The Associated Press.

Scopesi added that both Parker Eaton and Griffith left Italy on Wednesday, along with Cutfield and the rest of the crew.

The three crew members were among 15 survivors of the August 19 sinking that killed British tech magnate Mike Lynch, his daughter Hannah and five others.