British tech tycoon and daughter, 18, among those missing after superyacht sinks off coast of Sicily
19 August 2024, 22:55 | Updated: 20 August 2024, 09:55
British tech tycoon Mike Lynch is among six people missing after his superyacht sank off the coast of Sicily.
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The British-flagged superyacht, named Bayesian, capsized at about 5am local time off the coast of Palermo on Monday when the area was hit by a tornado.
Four of the missing passengers are British and two are American, Italian news website la Repubblica stated, while Sicily's civil protection agency told the BBC that Mr Lynch's 18-year-old daughter Hannah was also among those missing.
Fifteen people including Mr Lynch's wife, Angela Bacares, were rescued, according to local media.
A body, believed to be that of the vessel's cook, has been found and police divers are trying to reach the hull of the ship, which is resting at a depth of 50 metres.
In total, the yacht was believed to be carrying 10 crew members and 12 passengers.
So far, 15 people have been rescued by coast guards on patrol boats and firefighters, including a one-year-old baby.
The child's mother, Charlotte, said her daughter is now being treated in the Di Cristina hospital in Palermo.
Recounting how she protected her baby as the vessel sunk, Charlotte said: “I held her afloat with all my strength, my arms stretched upwards to keep her from drowning.
“It was all dark. In the water I couldn’t keep my eyes open. I screamed for help but all I could hear around me was the screams of others.”
Speaking to local news website la Repubblica, she added that her husband, James, had suffered minor injuries and was taken to Civico hospital in Palermo.
Charlotte said she had reassured her husband that their child was ok and the pair promised to hug each other again soon.
Mike Lynch was acquitted in the US earlier this year in a multi-billion pound fraud case. The yacht was owned by Mr Lynch, according to reports.
Filippo Tripoli, the mayor of Bagheria in Sicily, said: "This morning, off the coast of Santa Flavia, a foreign boat sunk due to bad weather, 15 people recovered and seven missing.
"Already all the police forces and emergency services are operational and our Red Cross volunteers are present.
"CCTV from Monday morning showed the fierce storm, including water spouts, that battered the area.
Umbrellas, plant pots, tables and chairs were sent flying in the strong winds.
The owners of local restaurant Baia Santa Nicolicchia said: "We have no memory of anything like this in our area."
The co-defended and former colleague of missing British tech tycoon Lynch died after being hit by a car just days before the Bayesian sank, reports claim.
Stephen Chamberlain was hit by a vehicle on Saturday, before dying in hospital, his lawyer said in a statement.
Chamberlain, the former vice president of finance alongside chief executive Lynch at tech company Autonomy, is said to have been hit while out running in Cambridgeshire.
Chamberlain's lawyer Gary Lincenberg told MailOnline: "Our dear client and friend Steve Chamberlain was fatally struck by a car on Saturday while out running.
"He was a courageous man with unparalleled integrity. We deeply miss him.
"Steve fought successfully to clear his good name at trial earlier this year, and his good name now lives on through his wonderful family."
Chamberlain left Lynch's software firm Autonomy in 2012.
