By PALERMO, Italy — Italian Coast Guard officials recovered the seventh and final body from a British-flagged superyacht that sank off the coast of Sicily earlier this week, authorities reported on Friday. The body is believed to be that of Hannah Lynch, eighteen, daughter of British tech magnate Mike Lynch.
The Bayesian, a fifty-six-meter (one hundred eighty-four-foot) yacht, went down in a storm early Monday. Mike Lynch’s body was recovered on Thursday. He had been celebrating his recent acquittal on fraud charges with family and his legal team from the United States. His wife, Angela Bacares, was among the fifteen survivors.
A spokesperson for the Lynch family issued a statement on Friday: “The Lynch family is devastated, in shock and is being comforted and supported by family and friends. Their thoughts are with everyone affected by the tragedy.”
Rescue efforts to locate all missing bodies spanned four days, with divers facing challenges navigating the wreck’s interior, which lies fifty meters (one hundred sixty-four feet) below the surface.
Civil protection officials believe the ship was struck by a waterspout, a tornado-like phenomenon that occurs over water, causing it to sink rapidly.
The other five victims have been identified as Christopher Morvillo, one of Lynch’s U.S. lawyers, and his wife, Neda; Jonathan Bloomer, chairman of Morgan Stanley’s London-based investment banking subsidiary, and his wife, Judy; and Recaldo Thomas, the yacht’s chef.
The Termini Imerese Public Prosecutor’s Office has opened a criminal investigation into the incident. Investigators plan to hold a news conference on Saturday to present their initial findings. No formal suspects have been publicly identified.
A key focus of the investigation is how a vessel described as “unsinkable” by its manufacturer, Italian shipyard Perini Navi, sank while a nearby sailboat remained largely unaffected by the storm.
The sinking of The Bayesian marks one of the most significant maritime disasters in the region in recent years, raising questions about yacht safety standards and emergency protocols in severe weather conditions.
As the recovery operation concludes, attention now turns to the ongoing investigation and the process of formal identification of the recovered bodies. The incident has sparked discussions about maritime safety regulations for private vessels in the Mediterranean.
