Scuba divers retrieve four additional corpses following a sinking of a lavish yacht situated near Sicily
Reports from Italian media suggest that among the four bodies recovered, two have been identified as tech tycoon Mike Lynch, famously known as the "British Bill Gates," and his 18-year-old daughter. A total of five bodies have been found since the incident, with the first being discovered on Monday. Two individuals are still unaccounted for.
The opulent yacht "Bayesian," carrying a crew of 10 and passengers numbering 12, sank off the coast of Porticello, Sicily, during a storm on Sunday night. The catalyst was a waterspout, a whirlwind-like phenomenon over water, capable of generating winds exceeding 100 km/h, which can lead to severe sea conditions and potentially capsize a ship. Fifteen people were rescued.
The Monday recovery was allegedly that of the yacht's cook. The cause of the accident is still under investigation. A waterspout is described as a "vertical, rotating air column" that arises below a storm over the sea, capable of producing wind speeds surpassing 100 km/h, resulting in chaotic sea conditions that can destabilize a ship.
Divers were dispatched to the site by boat from Porticello harbor on Wednesday morning, accompanied by an underwater drone, according to AFP reporters. The "Bayesian" lies submerged at a depth of 50 meters.
Italian firefighters reported on Tuesday evening that divers had accessed the yacht, but the mission was described as intricate and protracted. The hope of finding the missing alive was dwindling by the hour.
Experts pointed out that luxury yachts like the "Bayesian" are constructed with watertight air chambers. "Reports of survivors have emerged from such air chambers" was the assertion of British engineer Jean-Baptiste Souppez, published by the Science Media Centre.
Besides Lynch and his daughter, Jonathan Bloomer, a high-ranking official at Morgan Stanley International, and his wife, Judy, were also aboard and are missing, as per information from insurance company Hiscox. According to Italian media, the passengers were guests of Lynch, who was celebrating his acquittal in a billion-dollar fraud case on the yacht.
Lynch was cleared of fraud charges in the U.S. in June in relation to the sale of his software company Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard. He was accused of altering records and exaggerating his company's revenue. The "Sunday Times" estimated Lynch's net worth at roughly €587 million.
The tornado-like waterspout that struck on Sunday night is believed to have caused the sinking of the "Bayesian". Despite the resilience of luxury yachts like the "Bayesian" with their watertight air chambers, the search for the remaining two unaccounted individuals, including Jonathan Bloomer from Morgan Stanley International, and his wife, is growing increasingly challenging amidst the wreckage caused by the tornado at sea.
