Tragic Storm Sinks Luxury Yacht in Sicily, Search for Missing Continues

Rescue teams in Sicily are searching for six missing people, including British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, after a luxury yacht sank due to a violent storm, killing one person. The 56-meter yacht, Bayesian, was carrying 22 people. An investigation into the incident has commenced.

Rescue operations resumed in Sicily to locate six missing individuals, including British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch and his daughter, after a luxury yacht was struck by a storm and sank, resulting in one fatality. The Bayesian, a 56-metre yacht, was hit while anchored near the port of Porticello. Among the missing are Jonathan Bloomer, chairman of Morgan Stanley International, and Chris Morvillo, a lawyer from Clifford Chance representing Lynch in a U.S. trial. Salvatore Cocina, head of civil protection in Sicily, noted concerns that the bodies might be trapped inside the vessel.

Prosecutors in Termini Imerese have initiated an investigation into the incident. Specialist divers reached the sunken ship on Monday but faced obstacles during their search at a depth of 50 meters. Fifteen people managed to escape before the boat sank, including Lynch's wife, Angela Bacares, who is also the boat's owner, and a one-year-old girl.

The body of the yacht's onboard chef, identified as Antiguan citizen Ricardo Thomas, was recovered. Recent heavy storms and rainfall across Italy, fueled by record-high Mediterranean sea temperatures, are believed to have amplified the storm's impact. Meteorologist Luca Mercalli highlighted the abnormally high sea surface temperature around Sicily as a contributing factor. Meanwhile, the British government's Marine Accident Investigation Branch has sent four inspectors for a preliminary assessment, focusing initially on whether the yacht's crew had time to secure the vessel before the storm hit.

(With inputs from agencies.)