By PALERMO, Sicily — Italian authorities have recovered a body near the site where a luxury yacht sank off the coast of Sicily, believed to be that of Recaldo Thomas, the Canadian-Antiguan chef who was among 22 people aboard the ill-fated vessel.
The Bayesian, a 56-meter (184-foot) British-flagged superyacht, capsized approximately 700 meters (2,300 feet) from Porticello, east of Sicily’s capital Palermo, early Monday morning during a violent storm. Of the 22 people on board, 15 survived the incident, leaving six passengers still unaccounted for.
Gareth Williams, a friend of Thomas, described the chef as well-loved and kind, possessing “the deepest, most sultry voice in the world, and a smile that lit up the room.” Williams told the BBC’s Insaf Abbas that he had known Thomas for 30 years, having grown up together in Antigua.
“He told me just the other day that he needed to work two more seasons to fix up his late parents’ house. He loved yachting, but he was tired,” Williams said, providing insight into Thomas’s recent state of mind.
Another friend, Eli Fuller, highlighted Thomas’s role as a community figure. “Personality was very important in his job. The world’s richest people want to hang out with someone social. He was sought after,” Fuller said. He added, “The kids would see all these white people working on yachts. For them to see an Antiguan man travelling all over the world – it was important for our community.”
As recovery efforts continue, divers are struggling to reach the cabins of the sunken vessel in their search for six missing passengers. Among those unaccounted for are British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch and Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer.
The Italian coastguard reported Tuesday afternoon that their search was ongoing, with divers working to safely enter the wreckage. Marco Tilotta, a member of the diving team, told Reuters that accessing the yacht has been challenging due to the Bayesian’s hull being tilted at a 90-degree angle on the seafloor.
“We are not stopping,” Tilotta stated. “We have resources, manpower and means. Our goal is to find all the people who are missing, so that is our job.”
The extreme depth of the wreck, approximately 50 meters (164 feet) below the surface, severely limits divers’ operational time. They can only spend around 12 minutes underwater, leaving just 10 minutes for actual search operations once they reach the wreckage.
To bolster the search efforts, the coastguard has deployed five patrol boats, at least two helicopters, and a remotely operated underwater vehicle. Specialist divers trained to operate in confined spaces have been flown in from Rome and Sardinia to assist with the complex operation.
British investigators arrived in Italy on Tuesday to assess the circumstances surrounding the yacht’s sinking. Initial reports suggest that the Bayesian may have been struck by a waterspout, a tornado-like phenomenon over water, causing it to capsize rapidly. Additional factors under investigation include the possibility of the boat’s mast snapping and water entering through hatches that may have been open due to hot temperatures.
Among the survivors was a British mother who described the harrowing experience of holding her baby girl above the sea’s surface to prevent her from drowning, underscoring the dramatic nature of the incident.
As the search continues, the international yachting community and the families of those still missing anxiously await further news. The incident has highlighted the potential dangers faced even by well-equipped luxury vessels in unpredictable weather conditions, prompting discussions about maritime safety protocols and emergency preparedness in the yachting industry.
