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Search continues for British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and head of Morgan Stanley International after yacht sank in Sicily tornado | UK news

Idris Bevan August 20, 2024

British technology magnate Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter are among six tourists missing after a luxury yacht sank in a tornado off the coast of Italy.

The death of one person has been confirmed. It is believed to be the ship’s Canadian cook. According to the Italian daily newspaper “La Repubblica”, the missing passengers include four Britons and two Americans.

Latest superyacht sinking: British inspectors on site

The Palermo Port Authority told Canadian broadcaster CBC News that officials had recovered the body of Ricardo Thomas, a Canadian-born man who had lived in Antigua.

The British yacht, named Bayesianhad 10 crew members and 12 passengers on board and sank around 5 a.m. Local time off the coast of Palermo.

Salvo Cocina of the Sicilian Civil Protection said: “They were in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

The missing people also include Jonathan Bloomer, CEO of Morgan Stanley International, and Chris Morvillo, a lawyer at the major law firm Clifford Chance, as well as their two wives.

A Morgan Stanley spokesperson said they were “deeply shocked and saddened,” adding: “Our thoughts are with everyone affected, especially the Bloomer family, as we all await further news from this terrible situation.”

British insurer Hiscox, of which Mr Bloomer is chairman, confirmed on Tuesday that his wife was also among the missing.

“Our thoughts are with all those affected, especially our Chief Executive Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy, who are among the missing,” said Aki Hussain, Group CEO of Hiscox.

Mr LynchHannah Lynch, the defendant’s daughter, remains missing, but his wife Angela Bacares was rescued along with 14 others – including a mother holding her one-year-old baby above the waves.

Charlotte Golunski, 35, told La Repubblica she lost her baby Sofia for “two seconds”, adding: “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 could hear around me were the screams of the others.”

The girl’s father, James Emsley, also survived, Cocina said. According to her LinkedIn profile, Golunski is a partner at Lynch’s firm, Invoke Capital.

Mr Lynch, described as the British Bill Gates, was Released at the beginning of the year of having committed massive fraud in connection with the sale of the software company Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard (HP) in 2011.

Eyewitness: With every hour that passes, this rescue mission comes closer to recovery

A search is underway for survivors in Sicily.

Fifty metres beneath the now calm waters lie the remains of a superyacht that had 22 people on board when it was hit by extreme weather.

In the early hours of Monday morning, incessant rain and wind lashed the northern coast of Sicily, causing extensive damage on land and proving devastating at sea.

Fisherman Fabio was the first to arrive at the wreck and told Sky News: “Half a mile from the port there were two sailing boats anchored at sea.”

“After 10 minutes we saw a flare in the sky. We waited about 10 minutes to see the intensity of the tornado and headed out to sea.

“We were the first to rescue, but we found no one at sea. We only found pillows and the remains of the boat.”

The weather was so bad overnight that locals said they had never experienced anything like it.

Waterspouts – basically like tornadoes on the water – devastated the coast.

The yacht was at anchor. The lights on the mast sparkled in the night sky. In the morning they had disappeared.

Authorities have not yet given up hope for those still missing at sea: divers have already found a body near the wreck and they are aware that this rescue mission is getting closer to recovery with every passing hour.

There is also some speculation about the design of the ship and what may have happened to the 75 m high mast that was the landmark of this particular yacht.

It is said to be the tallest aluminum mast in the world and people here were talking last night about being able to see it glittering at night.

The idea is that the mast may have become caught in that rotating column of cloud, those waterspouts that we’ve been talking about, and may have broken, which in turn may have caused the boat to continue sailing and capsize.

Investigators and inspectors from the British Marine Accident Investigation Branch are heading to Palermo today to assist.

Read more:
What we know so far about the sunken superyacht
What we know about the disaster off Sicily

Lynch’s co-defendant killed in car accident

His co-defendant in this case, Stephen Chamberlain, was tried separately confirmed death after he was hit by a car on Saturday.

His attorney Gary Lincenberg said in a statement: “Our dear client and friend Steve Chamberlain was fatally struck by a car while jogging on Saturday.

“He was a courageous man with unparalleled integrity. We miss him deeply.

“Steve successfully fought to clear his good name in court earlier this year and his good name now lives on through his wonderful family.”

Cambridgeshire Police said in a statement on Monday evening that the driver of the car, a 49-year-old woman from Haddenham, was still at the scene of the accident and was assisting with the investigation.

Rescuers face major challenges

Divers have already undertaken underwater journeys to search for the six missing peoplereports the Italian daily Giornale di Sicilia, but they face considerable difficulties when trying to gain access to the yacht.

Paramedic Luca Cari told the news agency that the divers “can stay underwater for a maximum of 12 minutes, including two minutes for ascent and descent,” which means “that the actual time to carry out the search is 10 minutes per dive.”

He added that divers had discovered a glass window on the Bayesian through which they could board, but said: “The spaces inside the sailing ship are very narrow and if you come across an obstacle it is very difficult to move forward, just as it is very difficult to find alternative routes.”

Britain’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch said four of its inspectors would be dispatched to Palermo for a preliminary assessment while cave divers joined the ongoing search.

The ship’s hull lies at a depth of 50 meters.

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 affected British nationals.”