British tech magnate Mike Lynch was among six people lost at sea on Monday, August 19, after a luxury superyacht sank off the Italian island of Sicily during a sudden storm.
Lynch’s wife Angela Bacares was among the 15 people rescued but the businessman and his 18-year-old daughter, Hannah Lynch, were missing, Salvo Cocina, head of the Civil Protection Agency in Sicily, told AFP.
The ship had a crew of 10 people and 12 passengers, the Italian coast guard said. A sudden fierce storm had battered the area overnight, and a waterspout struck precisely where the 56-meter (184-foot) British-flagged Bayesian had been moored.
Lynch, 59, is a celebrated technology sector entrepreneur and investor, sometimes referred to as the UK’s answer to Bill Gates.
One body was recovered, and police divers spent the day trying to reach the hull of the ship, which was resting at a depth of 50 meters (163 feet) off Porticello where it had been anchored, rescue authorities said.
“They were in the wrong place at the wrong time,” said Cocina, noting that another big ship nearby, the Sir Robert Baden Powell, wasn’t as badly damaged and helped rescue the 15 survivors — including Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares.
Eight of those rescued were hospitalized while the others were taken to a hotel. One body believed to be the cook was found near the wreck, but six others were unaccounted for and believed inside the hull, said Cari, the fire rescue spokesperson.
The rescue operations, which were visible from shore, involved helicopters and rescue boats from the co
