Luxury yacht capsizes off Sicily: British billionaire missing

Search and rescue operations are underway for British tech billionaire Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter, who were on board a luxury yacht that sank off the coast of the Italian island of Sicily.

Early Monday morning, the 56-meter-long yacht named Bayesian sank into the waters following a severe storm that caused a waterspout at sea.

Of the 22 people on board—British, American, and Canadian nationals—15 were successfully rescued. One person lost their life. Among those rescued is a one-year-old British baby.

BRITAIN'S BILL GATES

Lynch, often referred to as the "British Bill Gates," co-founded the software company Autonomy, which was acquired by tech giant Hewlett-Packard for 11 billion dollars.

According to a report by BBC Turkish, eyewitnesses who spoke to the Italian news agency Ansa explained that the yacht was anchored when the storm hit, causing the mast to break, which led the vessel to lose its balance and sink off the coast of the town of Porticello, near Sicily's capital, Palermo.

Divers have located the wreckage at a depth of 50 meters; the search for the missing continues. In addition to Lynch and his daughter Hannah Lynch, the yacht's chef is also missing. A lifeless body was found near the wreckage, but its identity has not yet been disclosed. It was reported that the yacht, named Bayesian, belonged to Lynch's wife, Angela Bacares, and that Bacares was among those rescued.

'MANY PEOPLE WERE SCREAMING'

35-year-old mother Charlotte Golunski told the Ansa news agency that she lost her one-year-old daughter in the sea for a few seconds but was later able to embrace her:

“For two seconds I lost my little girl in the sea, but then I was able to hold her in my arms as the waves came. I held her tightly, close to me, while the sea was rough. Many people were screaming.”

Dr. Domenico Cipolla, who spoke to the Reuters news agency and treated the survivors, said the passengers at the hospital were “very tired and were constantly crying, asking about their missing friends.”

ORGANIZED FOR COLLEAGUES

It was stated that the trip was organized by Lynch for his colleagues. It is believed that the yacht's name comes from Bayes' theorem, which formed the basis of Lynch's doctoral thesis and his software company.

After the storm hit, a nearby Dutch-flagged vessel was the first to arrive for rescue.

Speaking to Reuters, the ship's captain, Karsten Borner, explained that after the storm passed, they noticed the yacht that had been behind them was gone.

He added that when they went to help, they spotted a life raft with 15 people on board. A fisherman who also spoke to the news agency stated that an inflatable boat sent from another yacht went to assist in the rescue.

Eight of the survivors are receiving treatment in the hospital. Very severe storms have been occurring in the western Mediterranean since the middle of last week.

News Source: 12punto