British technology tycoon Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah were among the people initially unaccounted for after his superyacht Bayesian sank in a storm off the coast of Sicily in the early hours of Monday. On Thursday morning, Italian authorities confirmed the identities of five bodies found inside the luxury vessel, after a three-day operation that has seen divers carefully navigating their way into the cabin bedrooms. After a decade-long legal battle which had seen him extradited to the US to face an $11bn fraud case, Mr Lynch had celebrated by inviting his close friends, colleagues and those who helped him on his legal team aboard his boat as a gesture of gratitude.
Yet a week of sunshine along the Italian coastline would soon toon to horror, after the boat capsized shortly before dawn, only offering those onboard a few minutes to get themselves to safety. Mr Lynch has now been confirmed dead, alongside Morgan Stanley chairman Jonathan Bloomer, his wife Judith Bloomer, Clifford Chance lawyer Christopher Morvillo and his wife Neda Morvillo. Search efforts are now focused on finding the entrepreneur’s 18-year-old daughter Hannah, who remains unaccounted for after the boat dramatically capsized during a freak tornado, known as a waterspout.
The British-flagged vessel named Bayesian was carrying 12 passengers and 10 members of crew when it sank at around 5am local time near the Sicilian capital of Palermo. The yacht’s chef, Recaldo Thomas, is already confirm.