Scuba divers exploring the sunken yacht of British tech mogul Mike Lynch, which went down near Sicily two days prior, have discovered two bodies within the vessel, according to a source involved in the rescue efforts. One of the deceased was described as a robust man. Authorities are searching for six individuals still missing, among them Lynch, his 18-year-old daughter, and Jonathan Bloomer, a non-executive chair at Morgan Stanley International. The British-flagged Bayesian, a 56-meter-long superyacht, was carrying 22 people when it capsized during a violent storm while anchored off Porticello, close to Palermo. Fifteen individuals managed to survive, while the body of the yacht's chef, a Canadian-Antiguan national named Recaldo Thomas, was recovered near the wreck shortly after the incident. The Italian fire department described the inspection of the wreck, which lies on its side at a depth of approximately 50 meters, as a "long and complex" operation, complicated by obstructed interior spaces filled with furniture and debris. Divers had only 8-10 minutes to operate underwater before needing to resurface. Additionally, the coast guard utilized a remotely operated vehicle to examine the seabed and gather underwater imagery that could provide crucial insights for the ongoing investigation. Survivors, including the Bayesian's captain, and witnesses from a neighboring yacht that observed the capsizing, are being interviewed by the coast guard. No individuals are currently under investigation. Lynch, aged 59, is a prominent UK tech entrepreneur often compared to Bill Gates. He founded Autonomy, the UK's largest software company, which was controversially sold to HP for $11 billion in 2011. The deal later collapsed with HP accusing Lynch of fraud, leading to a protracted legal battle. Lynch was acquitted of all charges in June by a jury in San Francisco. The other missing individuals include Bloomer's wife Judy, and lawyers Chris and Neda Morvillo, who represented Lynch in the trial. Experts are puzzled by how a luxury vessel equipped with top-tier safety features could have sunk so rapidly, as reported by witnesses. The adjacent yacht remained unaffected by the storm. The Bayesian, owned by Lynch's wife, was constructed by Italian shipbuilder Perini in 2008 and underwent its last refit in 2020. It boasted the world's tallest aluminum mast, measuring 72 meters. The yacht's captain, a 51-year-old New Zealander named James Cutfield, who survived the incident, was highly regarded as a sailor in the Mediterranean. Matthew Schanck, chair of the Maritime Search and Rescue Council, a UK-based nonprofit that trains sea rescuers, described the Bayesian's sinking as a "high impact" weather-related event, possibly a water spout, which he classified as a "black swan" occurrence. He expressed confidence that the authorities would determine the cause of the shipwreck through survivor accounts, witness testimonies, and an examination of the sunken hull, which showed no immediate signs of damage.
Text: Lara Palmer
21.08.2024
Search continues for six missing individuals after a superyacht capsizes during a storm off Sicily