Post-acquittal boat soiree transforms into a harrowing experience.
Following a prolonged trial, "British Bill Gates" counterpart Mike Lynch rejoiced in his not-guilty verdict at a small soiree aboard a sailing vessel off the Sicilian coast. Unfortunately, tragedy struck late at night as the boat sank swiftly. Despite the expertise of professional divers, locating the missing individuals is a formidable task.
Post-acquittal, Lynch was musing on how to utilize his newfound freedom, cited by British media as the "question to ponder." Now, Michael Lynch, aged 59, is unaccounted for. He was aboard the luxurious yacht "Bayesian," which succumbed to a storm off Sicily's shore.
Divers are searching around 50 meters deep for his 18-year-old daughter Hannah, as well as four other individuals, two couples. Seventeen passengers were salvaged, and a body was retrieved, presumed to be the yacht's cook.
Survivors have narrated harrowing accounts. "I could barely keep my eyes open in the water, calling for help, but all I heard were more screams," recalled a survivor from New Zealand, employed by a law firm that championed Lynch during the trial. Accompanying her was her infant daughter: "With every ounce of strength, I kept her head above water, fearing she might drown."
The "Daily Mirror" headlines read: "Mother's Courage Saves Baby from Sea's Hell." Among the survivors were the woman's partner and Lynch's wife. Initially, 22 individuals were aboard the "Bayesian," comprising 12 guests and 10 crew members.
United States Trial
Lynch is recognized as the "British Bill Gates" in British press. He co-founded the software firm Autonomy, which was acquired by US conglomerate Hewlett-Packard (HP) in 2011 for an estimated $11 billion ($9.94 billion current value). The trial centered in San Francisco revolved around this acquisition.
Autonomy's acquisition is considered one of the worst takeover disasters in Silicon Valley. Lynch and Autonomy's former finance manager Steven Chamberlain, who was tragically struck by a vehicle while jogging before the shipwreck, were accused of misrepresenting Autonomy's financial status to Hewlett-Packard. The jury, however, did not share this view and unexpectedly announced the acquittal.
Lynch reportedly wanted to celebrate his legal victory with a gathering on the "Bayesian." Invitations were extended to friends and supporters. According to the BBC, those unaccounted for include a finance expert who testified in Lynch's favor, a lawyer, and their partners. The CEO of specialist insurer Hiscox confirmed the loss of board chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife.
Catastrophic Storm
The yacht's name honors Thomas Bayes, the British mathematician, whose work Lynch has commended. Bayesian inference is the bedrock of modern AI and computer analysis.
Initially, an extravagant celebration on the yacht off Palermo's scenic coast turned disastrous. The mammoth vessel was tethered a half-mile from the Porticello harbor during the early hours of Monday morning. The north Sicilian coast was lashed by a severe storm, and a water tornado assailed the ship. In these instances, powerful ground vortices materialize. The water cyclone collided with the ship, breaking the 75-meter-tall mast.
It is unclear as to why the ship anchored so far away from shore under such adverse weather conditions. "It caught us off-guard," the "La Repubblica" newspaper quotes the "Bayesian" captain. The captain is receiving medical treatment.
Preliminary Investigations Indicate the Ship Overturned Almost Instantaneously. Apparently, the ordeal happened so abruptly that some passengers could not evacuate from their cabins below deck. A German captain of a nearby boat that rescued the survivors and transported them recounted the incident to Italian media: "Initially, the ship keeled over, and within moments, it was submerged. The entire incident unfolded in rapid succession."
The "Bayesian" was manufactured in 2008 at Tuscany's Perini Navi shipyard, as per "La Repubblica." The ship has been renovated and employed for luxury voyages since 2020. The vessel is 56 meters long and 11 meters wide. The high-end yacht houses up to 12 guests in six cabins, including an opulent master suite.
Perplexing Search
However, locating the missing individuals is proving troublesome. According to firefighters, a team of Italian divers scuba-diving from the mainland has been able to access the boat's interior and inspect some adjacent rooms below the bridge. Despite their best efforts, both sheer complexity and the confined space have posed insurmountable hurdles.
The dive teams consist of two expert cavers who can remain submerged for 12 minutes before resurfacing, rotating continuously with another unit. At present, they are considering exposing the wreck to gain access, but the submerged cabins, believed to harbor the missing individuals, remain impenetrable.
Despite the professional divers' best efforts, locating the missing individuals, including Michael Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah, has proven to be a challenging task due to the sunken yacht's complex interior and limited space. The unfortunate sinking of the "Bayesian" during the storm off Sicily's shore has left many searching for answers and closure.
