British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch is among six individuals missing after a superyacht sank off the coast of Sicily during a sudden and violent storm on Monday.
The 56-meter luxury yacht, named Bayesian, was carrying 22 passengers, including people from the UK, the US, and Canada.
The vessel was anchored near Porticello, close to Palermo, when it was hit by fierce winds and heavy rain in the early morning hours.
Fifteen passengers were rescued, including a one-year-old British girl and Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares. However, Lynch, 59, and his daughter Hannah are still unaccounted for. Tragically, the yacht’s cook was found dead in the wreckage.
The disaster occurred around 5:00 am local time, when a violent storm struck, producing waterspouts that overwhelmed the yacht. The yacht sank near Porticello, just east of Palermo, Sicily’s capital. Witnesses reported that the storm caused the mast to break, leading to the vessel capsizing.
One survivor, Charlotte Golunski, described how she nearly lost hold of her one-year-old daughter, Sofia, in the water but managed to keep her safe until they were rescued. Sofia’s father, James Emslie, also survived the incident.
Salvo Cocina, head of Sicily’s Civil Protection Agency, confirmed to AFP that several people remain missing. Bacares, who suffered minor injuries, was taken to a hospital in Termini Imerese. Divers involved in the search found the first body and reported that one of the missing individuals was trapped inside the sunken yacht.
Golunski, who was onboard with her daughter, recounted the terrifying moment when a powerful gust of wind hit the boat, causing it to sink rapidly. She managed to hold onto her daughter and made it to a life raft amid the chaos.
The Bayesian, flying under a British flag, had 22 people onboard, including 10 crew members. Most of the passengers were British and guests of Lynch, according to Italian media reports. The yacht was reportedly struck by a waterspout, a type of mini-tornado that forms over water.
Another yacht captain, Karsten Borner, who was anchored nearby, described the storm as a “very strong hurricane gust” and recalled the moment he realized the other vessel had disappeared. He and his crew later found a life raft carrying a baby and Lynch’s wife.
Local fishermen, including Fabio Cefalu, rushed to help after seeing a distress flare but only found debris floating in the water.
Waterspouts, which often form during severe thunderstorms, are rotating columns of wind and water that descend from clouds, resembling mini-tornadoes over water.
As the sea calmed just hours after the storm, rescue teams brought a body ashore. Among the survivors were people with dual French and British citizenship, as well as nationals from Sri Lanka, New Zealand, and Ireland.
Camper & Nicholsons, the yacht’s management company, issued a statement saying they are “assisting with the ongoing search” for those still missing. Italian authorities have launched an investigation into the incident.
Rescue efforts are continuing, with divers preparing to search the wreckage, which lies at a depth of 50 meters.
List of Missing Individuals in the Sicily Yacht Disaster:
1. British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch
2. Hannah Lynch, 18-year-old daughter of Mike Lynch
3. Jonathan Bloomer, Chairman of Morgan Stanley International
4. Judy Bloomer, wife of Jonathan Bloomer
5. Chris Morvillo, lawyer at Clifford Chance
6. Neda Morvillo, wife of Chris Morvillo
