Six missing after superyacht capsizes in Mediterranean tornado
Luxury superyacht capsizes near Sicily after tornado, six still missing
Six individuals remain unaccounted for after a luxury superyacht owned by UK tech mogul Mike Lynch overturned in the Mediterranean near Sicily early Monday morning. The aftermath saw survivors clinging to a life raft and debris, including cushions and deck chairs, floating in the water.
A tornado hit the £14 million yacht while it was anchored, snapping the mast and causing the vessel to capsize swiftly. At the time, many of the 22 guests and crew on board the ‘Bayesian’ were in their cabins. Mike Lynch, 59, and his daughter Hannah, 18, are among the missing, though his wife Angela managed to escape.
Italian divers, who descended around 50 metres to the overturned yacht, reported to Salvo Cocina, head of Sicily’s civil protection agency, that they saw bodies through the portholes of the 183-foot yacht. One body, identified as the boat’s chef Ricardo Thomas, has been recovered.
An eyewitness in Palermo, where the Bayesian was docked, said the vessel was still anchored when the tornado hit. The storm broke the sail mast, causing the yacht to lose balance, according to the Ansa press agency.
Reports indicate that the other two missing Brits are Jonathan Bloomer, Chairman of Morgan Stanley International, and his wife. Salvo Cocina has vowed to continue the search overnight, with helicopters scouring the sea off Palermo.
At midnight, 20 hours after the superyacht capsized, specialist divers trained to operate in confined, dark spaces were seen entering the water off Palermo as recovery efforts continued.
Officials have yet to confirm the identities and nationalities of all the survivors. Some named locally include Sasha Murray, Irish, 29; Matthew Griffith, French, 22, the yacht’s captain; James Caulfield, New Zealander, 51; Ayla Ronald, 36, from London; and Myin Kyaw Htun, 39, from Myanmar.
Ayla Ronald, one of Mike Lynch’s defence lawyers, was confirmed by the BBC as a survivor. Angela Bacares, Mike Lynch’s wife, also survived, along with Brits Charlotte Golunski, 36, and James Emsilie, who described their harrowing escape with their one-year-old daughter.
Fisherman Fabio Cefalu told Italian media that two sailboats were anchored half a mile from the harbour when the tornado struck. He saw a flare and initially waited to assess the storm’s intensity. After 10 minutes, he and others went to sea to offer rescue but only found debris.
The tornado hit around 3:30 am, destroying everything on the pier, he added.
Four British investigators from the UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch are set to arrive in Palermo on Tuesday morning to assist with the ongoing search and rescue efforts for those still missing from the Bayesian superyacht.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some common questions asked about this news
What happened to Mike Lynch’s superyacht?
It capsized due to a tornado off the coast of Sicily, leaving six people missing.
How many people survived the superyacht capsizing?
Fifteen people survived the incident.
Who are the missing persons from the superyacht incident?
The missing include Mike Lynch, his daughter Hannah, Jonathan Bloomer, his wife, and others.
How many bodies have been recovered from the superyacht?
One body, that of the boat’s chef Ricardo Thomas, has been recovered.
What are the Italian rescuers doing to find the missing people?
Italian rescuers are diving and using helicopters to search for the missing individuals.
