Six people, including British tech magnate Mike Lynch and five others, are feared dead after their luxury yacht, Bayesian, sank in a tornado off the Sicilian coast. The vessel, named after Lynch’s PhD thesis on statistical theory, was moored half-a-mile off the coast of Porticello when it sank around 5am local time on Monday. Rescuers are working tirelessly to locate the missing individuals, with hopes of finding any survivors trapped inside the wreckage.
Of the 22 people onboard, 15 were rescued after escaping onto a lifeboat, including Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, and their 18-year-old daughter, Hanna. Hanna had recently finished her A-Levels and was bound for Oxford University. The body of a man, believed to be chef Recaldo Thomas, a Canadian-Antiguan, was recovered near the yacht.
It is believed that the luxury vessel may have been hit by a water spout, a rotating column of wind that forms over a body of water, often likened to a tornado. The Italian coastguard believes the missing six people are likely trapped inside the boat, and while rescue efforts are still ongoing, experts say the next 24 hours are crucial in finding survivors.
The cruise was reportedly a celebration of Lynch’s recent acquittal of fraud charges in the United States. Lynch, an Irish-British billionaire and tech entrepreneur, had previously been dubbed “Britain’s Bill Gates” but faced legal troubles surrounding the sale of his software firm Autonomy in 2011.
British Tech Mogul Mike Lynch Feared Dead as Luxury Yacht Sinks in Sicilian Tornado (Image via Getty)
As rescue efforts continue, Italian emergency services, including the fire brigade, are working to enter the wreckage of the Bayesian, which lies on the seabed at a depth of 50 meters. The operation is described as complex, with divers limited to 12-minute underwater shifts. Firefighter divers have reached parts of the vessel, but have yet to make it to the cabins.
Dr Jean-Baptiste Souppez, a senior lecturer of mechanical, biomedical and design engineering, suggests that the speed at which the vessel sank and the fact that it remains intact could favour the formation of small air pockets inside, which rescuers could be looking for signs of life, including banging noises at regular intervals.
Lynch’s business ventures, including the acquisition of Autonomy, led him to face legal troubles, including fraud charges in the United States. In June, he was cleared of 15 fraud charges after allegations he inflated Autonomy’s worth. His wife, Angela Bacares, is listed as the owner of the yacht, Revtom Limited.
The incident has sent shockwaves across the world, and tributes have poured in for Mike Lynch and the five others missing and feared dead.
