The search for six missing passengers from a luxury yacht that sank off the northern coast of Sicily continues, with hopes of finding survivors dwindling. The deep-sea search resumed on Tuesday, with divers attempting to explore the sunken yacht. Among the missing are prominent British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch and his daughter, Hannah, along with Morgan Stanley International MS Chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife, Judy. Also missing are attorney Chris Morvillo and his wife, Neda. Morvillo is a partner at Clifford Chance in New York and recently represented Lynch in a legal battle.
Italian officials, including Vincenzo Zagarola, a Porticello coast guard official, have acknowledged that the chances of finding survivors are slim. “We have no memory of situations in which, with sunken vessels, people remain alive after 36, now [almost] 48 hours,” Zagarola stated. So far, only one crew member, the yacht’s chef Recaldo Thomas, has been confirmed dead. Fifteen people have been rescued.
The yacht, named the Bayesian, sank during a severe storm. Divers have struggled to enter the cluttered wreck due to blocked entrances and tangled cables and wires. The Bayesian was carrying 12 passengers and 10 crew members when it encountered rough weather. The yacht was roughly half a mile from the Sicilian fishing village of Porticello when it sank early Monday morning.
Britain is expected to deploy a team of four inspectors to conduct a preliminary assessment into the disaster. “We are providing consular support to a number of British nationals and their families following an incident in Sicily, and are in contact with the local authorities,” a Foreign Ministry spokesman said Tuesday.
Divers resumed the search on Tuesday morning (local time) but have reportedly struggled to navigate the narrow passages of the sunken yacht, according to a fire rescue service spokesperson. Lynch, often referred to as the “U.K.’s Bill Gates,” is a notable figure in the tech industry. He gained prominence with the sale of his software company, Autonomy, to Hewlett-Packard for $11 billion in 2011. However, the deal turned sour when Hewlett-Packard wrote down Autonomy’s value by $8.8 billion. Lynch was acquitted of fraud charges related to this incident earlier in June. His disappearance, along with the other passengers, adds a tragic twist to an already complex narrative.
The ongoing search and rescue efforts underscore the severity of the situation and the international attention it has garnered.
