Fatal incident on a yacht results in one fatality and six individuals unaccounted for near Sicily.
A high-end yacht named "Bayesian," owned by tech mogul Mike Lynch, met its end off the Sicilian coast due to a fierce storm. The vessel, boasting a 56-meter length and a 75-meter towering mast, suffered the unfortunate fate of sinking. As of now, 15 people have been successfully rescued, but unfortunate news of 6 individuals still missing has surfaced. Regrettably, at least one life was lost in this maritime disaster.
The Italian coast guard confirmed this sad turn of events following requests for information. Previously, news agency Ansa had reported on a massive storm characterized by powerful winds that had caused the sailing yacht "Bayesian" to capsize near Porticello, in northern Sicily, around early morning hours.
Initial reports suggested that 7 people were unaccounted for, but later on, the rescue team discovered a body in the surrounding waters. As per British media reports, amongst the individuals missing is tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, believed to be the yacht's owner.
The vessel, which flew the British flag, carried 22 passengers and crew members in total, according to the Italian coast guard. Among them were 12 passengers and 10 staff members. 15 survivors were brought to shore securely by the coast guard and firefighters. A young child, aged only 1, was one of the fortunate souls to be rescued. Mike Lynch's wife, Angela Bacares, was also among the rescued individuals. At least eight survivors required hospitalization.
The survivors were temporarily taken aboard another vessel with the Dutch flag. The German captain recounted the dreadful incident to Italian news sources: "The boat initially tilted to one side. Within a matter of minutes, it had completely submerged.. It all unraveled very rapidly."
According to the Italian coast guard, the 56-meter long yacht named "Bayesian," flying the British flag, sank close to Porticello around 5 am that day, following a relentless storm. The six missing persons are identified as four British nationals, an American, and a Canadian, as reported by official statements.
Rescue teams from both the coast guard and firefighters are diligently continuing their search for the missing individuals. Four ships and a helicopter from the coast guard, along with a diving team from the firefighters, are involved in the ongoing recovery operations. The submerged sailing yacht rests at a depth of 49 meters in the seabed. It has been reported that rescue divers have spotted several bodies through the portholes in the cabins.
Italian media outlets mentioned that the yacht encountered a waterspout, a wind vortex that forms over the sea. The "Bayesian" was constructed in Tuscany in 2008, with major renovations undertaken in 2020. The vessel features an impressive 75-meter tall aluminum mast and a sail area spanning nearly 3000 square meters.
Witnesses testified to chaotic scenes in the water during the incident. A British woman named Charlotte described her ordeal to the newspaper "La Repubblica," recounting her brief struggle to keep her one-year-old daughter afloat before the waves. "It was pitch black. In the water, I couldn't keep my eyes open. I called out for help, but all I heard were the cries of others."
The disappearance of tech tycoon Lynch has been portrayed in the British tabloids as the demise of a modern-day Bill Gates. The 59-year-old is a co-founder of the software company Autonomy, which was sold to the American conglomerate Hewlett Packard for 11 billion pounds (equivalent to 12.9 billion euros) back in 2011. Just a few weeks prior, Lynch was declared innocent in a US fraud trial relating to the Autonomy deal.
The European Union has expressed its condolences over the maritime tragedy, stating that they are closely monitoring the situation. The European Commissioner for Transport, Adina-Ioana Valean, has offered any necessary assistance to the Italian authorities in their rescue efforts.
Given the high-profile nature of the incident, the European Union's law enforcement agency, Europol, has also been alerted to assist in any potential investigations related to the incident and the missing individuals.
