Search Continues for 6 Missing, Including Mike Lynch, After Yacht Sinks Off Italy
PALERMO, Sicily—Rescue teams in Sicily have resumed their search for six missing individuals, including British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch and his daughter, following the sinking of a luxury yacht during a violent storm on Monday, resulting in one fatality.
The British-flagged “Bayesian,” measuring 56 meters (184 feet), was carrying 22 passengers and was anchored near the port of Porticello when it was hit by severe weather conditions.
Among the missing are Jonathan Bloomer, chairman of Morgan Stanley International, and Chris Morvillo, a lawyer at Clifford Chance who represented Lynch in a U.S. trial. Salvatore Cocina, head of civil protection in Sicily, confirmed that the wives of both men were also unaccounted for.
“The concern is that the bodies may be trapped inside the vessel,” Cocina informed Reuters.
Prosecutors in the nearby town of Termini Imerese have initiated an inquiry into the incident.
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Specialist divers successfully reached the sunken ship on Monday at a depth of approximately 50 meters but faced hindrances due to obstructions, as reported by the fire brigade.
Fifteen individuals managed to escape before the yacht sank, among them Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, who was the boat’s owner, and a one-year-old girl.
The body of the yacht’s chef, identified as Antiguan citizen Ricardo Thomas, was recovered by rescue teams on Monday.
Inclement weather, including storms and heavy rainfall, has affected Italy in recent days following a prolonged period of hot weather that elevated Mediterranean sea temperatures to record highs, increasing the likelihood of severe weather events, according to experts.
“The sea surface temperature around Sicily was around 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit), nearly 3 degrees higher than normal. This creates a large reservoir of energy contributing to these storms,” stated meteorologist Luca Mercalli.
The British government’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch dispatched four inspectors to Sicily for a “preliminary assessment.”
An anonymous expert at the scene indicated that an initial focus of the investigation would be on whether the yacht crew had sufficient time to secure access hatches on the vessel before the storm hit.
