Britain’s Bill Gates, tech magnate Mike Lynch, is among those missing after his superyacht capsized off the coast of Sicily on Monday morning (Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)
Tragedy struck in the Mediterranean as a luxury superyacht owned by British tech tycoon Mike Lynch capsized off the Sicilian coast early Monday morning, leaving six people unaccounted for. The aftermath of the disaster saw debris, including cushions and deck chairs, scattered across the water, while 15 survivors desperately clung to a life raft.
The £14 million yacht, named ‘Bayesian’, was hit by a tornado while moored just outside of port, resulting in the mast breaking and the vessel overturning within minutes. Aboard were 22 guests and crew members, many of whom were asleep in their cabins when the tempest unleashed its fury.
Among the missing are 59-year-old Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah; however, his wife Angela miraculously escaped from the doomed ship.
Divers plunged approximately 50 metres down to the overturned yacht, where they relayed a harrowing report to Salvo Cocina, head of Sicily’s civil protection agency. They purportedly witnessed a chilling scene “through the portholes” of the 183-foot luxury craft, as reported by Italian daily Corriere Della Sera, suggesting bodies could be seen inside.
So far, one casualty has been confirmed the yacht’s chef, Ricardo Thomas, reports the Mirror.
Mike Lynch and Wife Angela Angela Bacares (Image: Express)
A Palermo local, speaking to Ansa news agency, recounted the horrific incident: “The vessel was still at anchor in front of the port when the tornado struck. With the anchor still down, the storm broke the sail mast, causing the vessel to lose its balance.”
The Times and local outlets have reported that the two other missing Britons are none other than Jonathan Bloomer, Chairman of banking behemoth Morgan Stanley International, and his spouse.
Salvo Cocina, who is at the forefront of the search and rescue operations, has vowed to continue the hunt for those still missing throughout the night, with helicopters combing the sea near Palermo.
Sky News disclosed that, as the clock struck midnight, a full 20 hours after the vessel capsized amidst a tempest lashing the coast of Sicily, specialist cave divers renowned for their expertise in “operating in confined, dark spaces where there’s no direct above-water exit to breathable air” plunged into the waters off Palermo, signalling a shift in focus to the submerged boat.
The stretch of sea near Palermo, Sicily, in southern Italy, where the yacht sank (Image: AP)
Authorities have not yet officially confirmed the identities or nationalities of all the survivors. However, some names have been circulated locally, including Sasha Murray, an Irish 29-year-old; Frenchman Matthew Griffith, aged 22 and captain of the ill-fated craft; James Caulfield, a 51-year-old New Zealander; Ayla Ronald, a 36-year-old Londoner; and Myin Kyaw Htun, a 39-year-old from Myanmar.
Ayla Ronald, one of the legal minds behind Mike Lynch’s defence in his recent trial, was identified by the BBC as one of the individuals who miraculously survived the nautical disaster.
Angela Bacares, 57, the wife of Mike Lynch, often dubbed the UK’s Bill Gates, is among the confirmed survivors following a harrowing incident at sea. Also safe are Brits Charlotte Golunski, 36, and her husband James Emsilie, who recounted a nightmarish escape from their cabin with their one-year-old daughter; Charlotte held the child above the surging waves as they waited for rescue.
Survivors of the capsized yacht leaving Coast Guard HQ on Monday (Image: Getty Images)
In an interview with Italian media, local fisherman Fabio Cefalu described witnessing a distress signal, stating: “There were two sailboats half a mile away from the harbour with their anchors at sea.”
He continued, detailing his response to the emergent situation: “After 10 minutes we saw a flare in the sky, we waited about 10 minutes to see the intensity of the tornado and we went out to sea. We were first to give rescue but we found no one at sea, we only found cushions and the remains of the boat.”
Cefalu also gave a chilling account of the storm’s sudden onset during the early hours: “I saw this morning at about 3.30am this bad weather that was approaching, we were about to go fishing and we stood still for 20 minutes to see the intensity of the tornado coming.”
He shared the moment the tempest struck with full force, saying: “At about 3.55am it took us full into the harbour and destroyed everything on the pier, everything.”
Four British investigators are due to touch down in Palermo on Tuesday morning, dispatched by the UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch to aid the ongoing search and rescue efforts for those still unaccounted for from the Bayesian superyacht.
