Tragic Yacht Sinking: British Tech Magnate's Family Devastated

Divers have recovered the body of British tech magnate Mike Lynch's daughter, Hannah, following the sinking of the family's yacht off Sicily. The disaster claimed seven lives, including Lynch, while fifteen people survived. Investigators are probing potential human error, with no formal charges laid yet.

Italian divers have retrieved the body of British tech magnate Mike Lynch's 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, who was the last person still unaccounted for after the family's luxury yacht sank this week off Sicily. Seven people, including Lynch himself, died when the 56-metre-long (184-foot) sail boat, the Bayesian, capsized during a fierce pre-dawn storm on Monday off Porticello, near Palermo. Fifteen people survived, including Lynch's wife and the yacht's captain.

Lynch's family is devastated and in shock, a spokesperson for the family said on Friday, in their first public comments since the yacht sank. 'Their thoughts are with everyone affected by the tragedy. They would like to sincerely thank the Italian coastguard, emergency services and all those who helped in the rescue,' the statement said. 'Their one request now is that their privacy be respected at this time of unspeakable grief.'

Prosecutors in the nearby town of Termini Imerese are looking into possible human error that might have led to the disaster. As of yet, nobody has been placed under formal investigation and none of the survivors have commented publicly. Hannah Lynch's body was discovered on Friday by specialist divers who have been scouring the submerged vessel for the past five days, a senior official with knowledge of the rescue operation said, declining to be named. The five other dead passengers were recovered on Wednesday and Thursday. The body of the only crew member who died, onboard chef Recaldo Thomas, was found near the wreck on Monday.

Official identification of the corpses and autopsies will take place in Palermo. Naval marine experts are puzzled by the sinking, as the Bayesian, built by high-end yacht manufacturer Perini, should have withstood the storm and not sunk so quickly. The yacht's captain and surviving crew members have been questioned by the coast guard. Investigators are due to hold a news conference on Saturday.

Giovanni Costantino, CEO of The Italian Sea Group that owns Perini, said the shipwreck was due to 'indescribable, unreasonable errors' by the crew, ruling out design or construction failings. The Bayesian lies intact at a depth of 50 metres (164 ft). Pulling it out of the sea might help determine what happened but is likely to be complex and costly. Nick Sloane, who led the Costa Concordia salvage, estimated costs at up to 15 million euros ($16.7 million) and said it would take six to eight weeks, with the operation needing completion by mid-October.

Lynch, 59, was a renowned UK tech entrepreneur and had invited friends to celebrate his acquittal in a U.S. fraud trial. Among the victims were his lawyer Chris Morvillo and Morgan Stanley banker Jonathan Bloomer.

(With inputs from agencies.)