British Tech Mogul Among Six Missing After Luxury Yacht Capsizes Near Sicily
Sicily. Rescue teams and divers were returning to the site of a storm-sunken superyacht off Sicily on Tuesday to search for six people, including British tech magnate Mike Lynch, who are believed to be still trapped in the hull, 50 meters (164 feet) underwater.
Divers were loading a rescue dinghy at the port of Porticello, near Palermo, after a first search Monday ended unsuccessfully. Fire rescue crews reported that divers were unable to access the below-deck cabins because they were blocked by debris that had shifted during the violent storm that toppled the luxury sailboat early Monday.
Fifteen people survived, including a mother who reported holding her 1-year-old baby over the waves to save her. One body has been recovered, officials said.
"Access was limited to the bridge, due to the difficulty represented by the presence of furnishings obstructing the divers' passage," the fire crews said in a statement.
The search was made particularly difficult because the ship was resting on the seabed at a depth of 50 meters, which limits the amount of time divers can be underwater, said fire rescue spokesperson Luca Cari. As a result, the search is expected to take time, he told The Associated Press early Tuesday.
The 56-meter (184-foot) British-flagged Bayesian luxury yacht had been moored about a half-mile off Ponticello when a storm rolled in around 4 a.m. Monday. Civil protection officials said they believed the ship was struck by a tornado over the water, known as a waterspout, which had passed over the area.
Fifteen of the Bayesian's 22 passengers and crew managed to escape, first onto a lifeboat and then by a nearby sailboat, the Sir Robert Baden Powell, that had also been moored offshore to ride out the storm, Karsten Borner, the captain of the Baden Powell, told reporters at the scene.
One body, belonging to the Bayesian's chef, was recovered nearby.
Among those missing was Lynch, who was once hailed as Britain's king of technology. He was cleared in June of fraud and conspiracy charges in a US federal trial related to Hewlett Packard's $11 billion takeover of his company, Autonomy Corp. His wife, Angela Bacares, survived.
The vacation appeared to be something of a celebration after Lynch's acquittal, with guests including some of the people who had stood by Lynch throughout the ordeal. Among those unaccounted for, according to the civil protection agency, were one of Lynch's US lawyers, Christopher Morvillo of Clifford Chance, and Morvillo's wife. Also among the missing was Jonathan Bloomer, the former head of the Autonomy audit committee who testified at Lynch's trial, and his wife.
Tags: Keywords:Related Articles
India Festival Boat Capsize Kills 13 Children
The boat overturned late Tuesday, with locals rushing to pull people out of the water in the dark using mobile phones to find the bodies.Nine Undocumented Indonesian Workers Survive Boat Capsizing en Route to Malaysia
Nine undocumented Indonesian workers survived a boat capsizing en route to Malaysia that left two dead and one missing.Boat Carrying 11 Foreign Tourists Reported Missing in Waters off Central Sulawesi
Indonesia has launched a search for a boat carrying 11 foreign tourists and two crew members after it lost contact in the Gulf of Tomini.Malaysia Searches for 14 Missing Indonesians After a Migrant Boat Sinks
Authorities said 23 people were rescued Monday by a local fishing vessel after the boat capsized off the island of Pangkor in Perak.The Latest
Chandra Asri Group Receives Trade Finance Excellence Award, Reinforcing Its Role in Indonesia’s Industrial Development
Chandra Asri Group receives the Trade Finance Excellence Award at CIMB Niaga Business Summit 2026.AEON MALL Deltamas Brings 11 Sports and Creative Competitions to AEONLYMPIC 2026
AEON MALL Deltamas hosts AEONLYMPIC 2026, featuring 11 sports and creative competitions, with more than 3,100 participants.Indonesian Stocks Extend Losses for Third Day, Fall 3.64% to 4,996
Indonesian stocks fell 3.64% on Monday, extending losses for a third straight session amid MSCI concerns and tighter trading limits.Prabowo Calls Meeting on Forest Fires as Haze Reaches Jakarta, Singapore
Prabowo summons senior officials to discuss forest fires as smoke reaches Jakarta and Malaysia pushes for regional action.Jakarta Outranks Amsterdam in Global Public Transport Survey
Jakarta climbs two places to 15th in Time Out's 2026 public transport survey, with its governor citing better network integration.Most Popular
