Coast Guard Says They’re ‘Not Sure a Black Box Was Present’ in Sunken Sicily Yacht

The luxury yacht sank in the early morning hours of Monday, Aug. 19

Following the sinking of the Sicilian yacht Bayesian off the coast of Italy, many questions remain unanswered.

At a press conference held by the Italian Coast Guard on Saturday, Aug. 24, it was revealed that a black box — which collects the vessel's data and tracks activity — has yet to be found among the wreckage, which is still at the bottom of the sea.

“We are not sure a black box was present," a representative for the Italian Coast Guard said of the part of the luxury boat, which sank in the early morning hours of Monday, Aug. 19 during a "violent storm."

"To look for it you have to look within the wreck, and this was very dangerous for the divers. In the first part of the search, they searched for people still alive, then later on for bodies," they added.

Related: Yacht Sank in Sicily Due to ‘Endless Chain of Errors,' Ship Maker's Owner Speculates: ‘Everything Was Predictable’

The press conference also addressed the work being done to recover the ship in the ocean. The black box would likely be able to answer questions surrounding the final moments for those on board.

“At the moment a lot of answers remain unanswered as [the boat] is at the bottom of the sea, and bringing it up will depend on the availability of owners and the management company and how quickly a plan is drawn up," the Coast Guard said in the press conference.

The organization added, "A technical plan needs to be submitted to the maritime authorities, but also a general one outlining the retrieval process. But we are still at a very preliminary stage. I can’t say we can do it in 8 weeks."

Related: Survivor of Yacht That Sank Off Sicily's Coast Recalls How She Used 'All My Strength' to Save Her 1-Year-Old

There were 22 people on board the Bayesian, according to the Italian Coast Guard, with 12 passengers and 10 crew members.

The victims of the Bayesian sinking are yacht chef Recaldo Thomas; Christopher Morvillo and his wife, Neda; Morgan Stanley International chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife, Judy and British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch and his daughter, Hannah Lynch.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 

Italian authorities are launching a manslaughter investigation following the tragedy.

Though the press conference couldn't answer questions surrounding the ongoing investigation, Girolamo Bentivoglio Fiandra, head of the Palermo Fire Bridgade, was able to explain what was going on during the victims' final moments.

Related: Diver Searching for 6 Missing People on Sunken Yacht Talks ‘Difficult’ Nature of Getting Inside

“It was quite clear that people were trying to hide in the cabins. In the left-hand side we found the first 5 bodies in the left-hand side cabins, and the final body on the right-hand side," he said.

"We found them on the highest part of the ship which was closer to the surface. The vessel had three cabins on each side," he continued, adding that the victims who retreated to cabins had also been "searching for air pockets."

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.