Tech tycoon Mike Lynch's daughter, 18, among missing as search continues after superyacht sinks off coast of Sicily
19 August 2024, 18:23 | Updated: 20 August 2024, 09:59
Mike Lynch’s 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, is reportedly among six people missing after a superyacht sank off the coast of Sicily.
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The director general of Sicily's civil protection agency, Salvatore Cocina, confirmed the teen was missing as a desperate search for those onboard the ship continues.
Four British tourists are feared dead after the £14million superyacht was hit by a tornado.
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.
Four of the missing passengers are British and two are American, Italian news website la Reppublica reports.
Sicily's civil protection agency told the BBC that 18-year-old Hannah Lynch was among those missing with her father, along with the yacht's chef, Ricardo Thomas. The yacht was carrying 10 crew members and 12 passengers.
His wife Angela Bacares was confirmed as having been rescued.
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."
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