By PORTICELLO, Sicily — Italian authorities have recovered five bodies from the wreckage of the superyacht Bayesian, which sank off the coast of Sicily on Monday, with British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch among those feared dead.
The Italian Coast Guard has not yet formally identified the recovered bodies. The search has focused on Lynch, his daughter Hannah, Jonathan Bloomer, chairman of Morgan Stanley Bank International, his wife Judy Bloomer, and others aboard the vessel.
Salvo Cocina, director of Sicily’s civil protection agency, told The Telegraph, “I believe Lynch and his daughter have been found,” but emphasized that formal identification is pending. One person remains missing as the search continues.
The 56-meter (184-foot) Bayesian, flying a British flag, sank early Monday morning approximately 700 meters (2,300 feet) from the coast during severe weather conditions. Authorities believe the yacht was struck by a waterspout, causing it to capsize and sink 50 meters (164 feet) to the seabed.
Of the 22 people aboard, including 10 crew members and 12 passengers, 15 survived. Among the survivors was a British mother who described holding her baby girl above water to prevent drowning.
The body of the yacht’s chef, Canadian-Antiguan national Recaldo Thomas, was recovered on Monday. Gareth Williams, a friend of Thomas, told the BBC they had known each other for 30 years, growing up together in Antigua.
The passengers were reportedly guests of Lynch, founder of software company Autonomy, celebrating his recent acquittal in a U.S. fraud case. Lynch was cleared in June of multiple fraud charges related to Autonomy’s $11 billion sale to Hewlett-Packard in 2011.
Recovery efforts have been challenging due to the yacht’s position and depth. Italian rescue services reported that specialist divers were hampered by the Bayesian lying on its side at the bottom of the seabed, with access points obstructed by debris.
Andy Goddard, a professional diver, told BBC Radio 5 Live, “You’re in this space and you’ve got stuff floating all around you, like being in a washing machine. It’s really dangerous for the diver.”
A team of four British inspectors from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) arrived in Sicily on Wednesday to assist with the investigation. Cocina stated that while there will be a full investigation in due course, the immediate priority is recovering all those who were on board.
According to Italian law, the deceased must be formally identified by a family member or a close associate before death can be officially certified. This process may explain the delay in releasing the identities of the recovered bodies.
As the search continues for the last missing person, the incident has shocked the international business and yachting communities. The Bayesian’s sinking underscores the potential dangers faced even by well-equipped luxury vessels in unpredictable weather conditions.
Authorities have announced that search efforts will resume on Thursday, utilizing specialist divers and underwater robots to navigate the challenging conditions at the wreck site.
