Luxury Yacht Disaster: British Tech Tycoon Among Six Missing as Vessel Sinks off Sicily Coast
Luxury Yacht Sinks Off Sicily Coast, Six Missing Including British Tech Tycoon
A luxury yacht carrying 22 people, including British technology entrepreneur Mike Lynch, sank off the coast of Sicily early Monday morning, leaving six individuals missing and feared trapped inside the vessel. The incident occurred around 5am local time, with CCTV footage capturing the moment a sudden storm half-a-mile from the shore of Porticello engulfed the Bayesian superyacht.
Italian Coast Guard official Vincenzo Zagarola stated that their working theory suggests the missing individuals may still be inside the rapidly sunken boat. “While we cannot exclude other possibilities, we believe the six missing people may not have had time to escape,” Zagarola explained. When questioned about survival chances, he cautiously noted that while not impossible, it was “not reasonable to expect it.”
The dramatic sinking was captured on camera from a nearby villa, with footage showing the £14 million yacht’s lights visible in the distance before disappearing within sixty seconds. A witness checked his cameras after hearing the news, noting that only one of about twenty cameras withstood the severe weather conditions to record the incident.
Rescue efforts are underway, with Italy’s fire brigade, Vigili del Fuoco, developing a plan to enter the wreckage. The operation is described as “complex,” with the yacht resting at a depth of 50 meters and divers limited to 12-minute underwater shifts due to safety concerns.
Among the missing are Mike Lynch, his daughter Hannah, Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy, and Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda. Fifteen passengers and crew members, including Lynch’s wife Angela Bacares, were rescued after escaping onto a lifeboat.
Tragically, one casualty has been confirmed. The body of the ship’s chef, Recaldo Thomas, was recovered at the scene on Monday.
The ill-fated trip was reportedly a celebration of Lynch’s recent acquittal in a fraud case related to the $11 billion sale of his company, Autonomy, to Hewlett Packard in 2011.
As the search continues, authorities remain hopeful but realistic about the chances of finding survivors. The Independent is providing live updates on this developing story.
