PORTICELLO, Sicily (AP)
The Italian coast guard confirmed that the body of British tech mogul Mike Lynch has been recovered from the wreckage of a luxury yacht off the coast of Sicily, which was touted by its builders as unsinkable.
One woman is still unaccounted for; while she hasn’t been officially named, reports suggest that Hannah Lynch, his 18-year-old daughter, is among those missing. The family was celebrating Lynch’s recent acquittal on fraud charges alongside his defense team in the U.S.
Rescue teams retrieved five other individuals following the incident that occurred on Monday.
The Bayesian, a 56-meter (184-foot) yacht registered under the British flag, sank during a storm while anchored approximately one kilometer (half a mile) from shore. Officials from civil protection believe the vessel was struck by a waterspout, leading to its rapid sinking.
Investigators from the Termini Imerese Public Prosecutor’s Office are gathering evidence for a criminal inquiry initiated promptly after the disaster, though no formal suspects have yet been named.
Giovanni Costantino, CEO of The Italian Sea Group, which produced the Bayesian, stated that superyachts of this kind are exceptionally safe.
“Firstly, they have limited surface area compared to regular yachts in rough winds,” Costantino explained to Sky News. “Secondly, their design and keel contribute to their unsinkability.”
Authorities are examining why the Bayesian, built in 2008 by the Italian shipyard Perini Navi, sank while a nearby sailboat endured the conditions largely undamaged. Of the 22 individuals aboard, 15 survived by using a lifeboat, including a mother who reportedly held her 1-year-old child above the waves. They were rescued by the sailboat Sir Robert Baden Powell.
Captain Karsten Borner of the sailboat reported that his vessel sustained only minor damage—a broken sun awning frame—despite experiencing winds that reached a force of 12 on the Beaufort scale, indicating hurricane-strength.
He remained anchored with the engines running to maintain position through the approaching storm.
“An alternative could have been to release the anchor and sail downwind into open waters,” Borner mentioned in a text. However, he noted that this might not have been feasible for the Bayesian due to its 75-meter (246-foot) mast.
“If there was a stability issue related to the tall mast, moving into open water may not have been an effective solution,” he added.
Yachts like the Bayesian are mandated to have watertight compartments designed to avoid rapid sinking even if certain sections fill with water.
Lynch is currently the only confirmed fatality; the other deceased individuals have yet to be identified by the coast guard.
In addition to Hannah Lynch, the missing persons include Christopher Morvillo, one of Lynch’s U.S. attorneys, and his wife Neda; Jonathan Bloomer, chairman of Morgan Stanley’s London investment banking arm, and his wife Judy; as well as Recaldo Thomas, the yacht’s chef.
Divers have faced difficulties locating bodies in the vessel’s wreckage, which lies 50 meters (164 feet) underwater.
“I wish we had a way to predict when we might discover the next body,” remarked Luca Cari, a spokesperson for the fire rescue service.
“It’s notably challenging to navigate within the wreckage. Even moving a single meter can take up to 24 hours,” Cari said.