Gemma Collins has been left "very shaken" as her family holiday descended into chaos when a storm hit Sicily while they were on a boat out at sea. It comes after an urgent search has been launched after a luxury yacht carrying 22 people sunk off the coast of Palermo , southern Italy. The vessel, named the Bajesian, got into trouble at around 5am after it was hit by a tornado while sailing near Porticello, a fishing village in Sicily.
Four Brits, a Canadian and two Americans are said to be among those missing. The body of one man - believed to be a kitchen crew member - has been retrieved from the water, local media has reported. Six people remain missing , one of whom is Brit tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch , it has been reported.
The mogul, who's family is said to own the superyacht, reportedly vanished following the disaster this morning. His wife, Angela Bacares, is among the survivors who have been brought to shore. READ MORE: Nurse warns of dangers of trampoline parks after she was left screaming in agony when she snapped her leg in foam pit Emergency services have rescued 15 people, including a one-year-old baby and its mother, but coast guard patrols are continuing the desperate search for the others on board the vessel that got into difficulty around 5am this morning.
It is understood that the boat sank during bad weather as a tornado hit Sicily. Divers have already reached the hull, 49 meters deep, about half a mile from the coast. Survivors have been taken to Porticciolo.
Just a week ago Gemma took to Instagram to share a sweet message with her fans about her taking a break from work to enjoy some family time, saying: "Get off your phones make memories with your loved ones and I will see you all in September." Gemma was holidaying with her nephew Hayden off the island of Sicily when the horror weather struck, and left them stranded on a boat for four hours. This evening Gemma took to Instagram to share an update from her holiday and sent her condolences to those involved in the tragic disaster.
Fans have flocked to the comments to share their support, one wrote: "I’m so glad you’re all safe," while another wrote: "Be careful my love ." Gemma uploaded a photo of her soaking up the sun in a pink swimsuit on the boat before the storm hit, captioning the post: "Holiday update my heartfelt condolences to the people involved in the tragic disaster at sea in Scicily. I was very lucky me and my nephew to have survived the storm at sea.
I am shaken and returning to the uk tomorrow god was on our side today we was stuck for 4 hours can you imagine what was going through my mind." Updating her Instagram stories Gemma shared a video of the downpours while she was on the boat as the crew danced to 'It's raining men'. Gemma also thanked the staff at Blue Diamond Cruise for keeping her and Hayden safe during their trip.
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