Six people are still missing after the boat capsized early Monday morning (Pictures: PA)
Six people are missing after UK tech tycoon Mike Lynch’s superyacht sank during a freak weather event off the coast of Sicily.
The British-flagged Bayesian was carrying 12 passengers and 10 crew when it capsized in the early hours of Monday morning after it was hit by a tornado over the ocean, known as a waterspout.
One man, reported to be a Canadian-born chef named Recaldo Thomas, was confirmed dead by Italian authorities.
Six others – including Lynch, 59, his 18-year-old daughter Hannah – are still missing.
Jonathan Bloomer, chairman of Morgan Stanley International, and his wife also remain unaccounted for as the search continues today with divers combing the wreckage.
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Who is missing?
British tech tycoon Mike Lynch, 58, who is among four Brits missing after a superyacht sank off the coast of Sicily (Picture: Enterprise News and Pictures)
Mike Lynch, an Irish-born software millionaire who founded tech company Autonomy in 1996, is one of four British passengers missing from the yacht.
His 18-year-old daughter Hannah, who recently completed her A-levels, is also missing, along with Mr Bloomer and his wife Judy.
Mr Bloomer was also previously chairman of the audit committee for Autonomy and testified for the defence in the high-profile court case over the company’s sale, which ended in June with Mr Lynch being found not guilty of fraud.
Authorities say they are also searching for Chris Morvillo, a lawyer at the new York legal firm Clifford Chance, and his wife.
Mr Morvillo represented Mr Lynch in the Autonomy case and celebrated the result in a social media post two months ago. He was also involved in the criminal investigation that resulted from the 9/11 terror attacks in 2001.
Jonathan Bloomer, International Chairman of Morgan Stanley, is also missing (Picture: Hiscox/PA Wire)
So far, one body – thought to be the yacht’s chef – has been recovered, according to the Palermo Coastguard.
Though it hasn’t been confirmed officially, a spokesperson for the Canadian foreign ministry told the BBC they were ‘aware of reports that a Canadian citizen has died’.
Who has been rescued?
Charlotte Golunski held her daughter above the water to prevent her from drowning (Picture: Facebook)
British national Charlotte Emsley (Golunski) was rescued after the Bayesian sank.
She told Italian newspaper la Repubblica she held her one-year-old daughter Sofia above the waves to stop her from drowning.
Ms Golunski said: ‘I held her afloat with all my strength, my arms stretched upwards to keep her from drowning. It was all dark.
‘In the water I couldn’t keep my eyes open. I screamed for help but all I could hear around me was the screams of others.’
Charlotte’s husband James was also pulled from the sea, with all three now being treated in hospital.
Ayla Ronald, a lawyer working for Clifford Chance, was also rescued after the yacht sank, along with Irish national Sasha Murray and Mike Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares.
She is said to be anxiously awaiting news of her husband and daughter.
Ayla Ronald is among those who survived the tragedy (Picture: Clifford Chance)
Myin Htun Kyaw, a 39-year-old with a Burmese passport, was also among those rescued by the coast guard.
Yacht captain Matthew Griffith, who is a French citizen, has also been accounted for along with 51-year-old James Calfield.
Matthew Fletcher is another British national said to have been rescued, according to local media.
The Dutch foreign ministry said a Dutch man on board was rescued and not in a life-threatening condition.
Salvo Cocina of Sicily’s civil protection agency said the yacht’s passengers and crew were from many different countries including the United Kingdom, United States, Antigua, France, Germany, Ireland, Myanmar, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Spain.
The massive yacht measured at 55.9m long and is 11.51m at its beam (widest point), a draught (depth of the vessel below the waterline) of 9.73m and an internal volume of 473 GT (gross tonnage).
Bayesian had an aluminium hull and superstructure, and is powered by two engines which give a top speed of 15.6 knots, with a cruising speed of 13 knots.
Its 57,000-litre fuel tanks mean it has a range of up to 3,600 nautical miles, and has water tanks storing up to 14,000 litres of fresh water, YachtCharterSalute reports.
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