British technology magnate Mike Lynch is among six tourists missing after a luxury yacht sank in a tornado off the coast of Sicily, sources said.
According to local media, a body believed to be that of the ship’s chef was found and 15 people, including Lynch’s wife, were rescued.
Four of the missing passengers are British and two Americans, reported the Italian news website “La Reppublica”.
The British-flagged superyacht named Bayesian capsized off the coast of Palermo at around 5 a.m. local time as a tornado struck the area.
The body was found near the wreck at a depth of 50 meters, fire and rescue services said.
Mr Lynch, who founded software giant Autonomy in 1996, was awarded an OBE in 2006 for services to business.
Earlier this year he was acquitted of massive fraud charges related to an $11 billion (£8.64 billion) sale to US company Hewlett Packard.
A spokesman for Mr Lynch said there was no comment.
The yacht sank when a violent storm swept through the area during the night.
The daily newspaper “Il Giornale di Sicilia” reported that the ship’s passengers were mainly British, but also people from New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Ireland and British-French citizens.
One of the survivors, a British tourist named Charlotte, told the newspaper La Reppublica that she held on to her one-year-old daughter Sofia to prevent her from drowning.
She said: “I held her above water with all my strength and stretched my arms up to prevent her from drowning.
“It was completely dark. I couldn’t keep my eyes open in the water. I screamed for help, but all I heard around me were the screams of the others.”
Charlotte and Sofia are being treated in hospital, as is Charlotte’s husband James.
Karsten Borner, captain of a nearby boat, told reporters that the missing people included the owner of the Bayesian and a child, Reuters news agency reported.
He said his crew had taken on board several survivors who were on a life raft, including three seriously injured people.
Fisherman Francesco Cefalu said he sailed to the scene from the shore after seeing a flare at around 4:30 a.m. But by the time he got there, the Bayesian had already sunk and only objects such as pillows and wood were floating in the water.
He added: “I think they are inside, all the missing persons.”
A spokesman for the UK Foreign Office (FCDO) said: “We are in contact with local authorities following an incident in Sicily and are ready to provide consular assistance to the British nationals affected.”
According to ship tracking website VesselFinder, Bayesian has made several voyages in recent days, calling at various ports in Sicily.
The superyacht can accommodate up to 12 guests in six suites and is available for rent for up to 195,000 euros (166,000 pounds) per week.
It was built in 2008 by the Italian company Perini Navi.
Its registered owner is Revtom Ltd.
There is little publicly available online information about the company, which appears to be based on the Isle of Man.
