Six Missing Including British Tycoon Mike Lynch After Tornado Sinks Luxury Yacht Off Sicily
Rescuers were searching for six people, including British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, who went missing after a tornado struck and sank a luxury yacht off the coast of Sicily. The incident also resulted in one death out of the 22 people on board.
The yacht was hit by a tornado around 5 a.m. Monday while anchored about half a mile from the port of Porticello on the Mediterranean island. The Italian Coast Guard confirmed the incident. Among those missing are four Britons and two Americans.
Mike Lynch, founder of the software company Autonomy, was confirmed to be on the yacht, according to a source who spoke to CNN under the condition of anonymity. Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, and a child were among the 15 people rescued. Eight people were hospitalized, and one body was found on the yacht’s hull.
A small waterspout, a type of tornado, formed in the area early Monday. The European Severe Weather Database reported that Sicily experienced heavy storms and more than 4 inches (100 mm) of rain in a few hours on Sunday. Weather forecasts had predicted strong winds and storms for the southern region of Italy.
Charlotte, a survivor, described the terrifying moments as she struggled to hold her one-year-old daughter, Sofia, amid the stormy waves. She recounted losing her baby briefly to the sea but managed to hold her tightly during the chaos.
The yacht, named “Bayesian,” was 56 meters long and flying a British flag. It had mostly British passengers and crew, along with two Anglo-French, one Irish, and one Sri Lankan person. The New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that two of its citizens were involved but were not among the missing. The nationality of the deceased person has not been revealed.
The Italian fire brigade sent divers to explore the yacht’s hull, which is 49 meters (160 feet) underwater, and helicopters to assist in the search. A nearby boat captain reported that strong winds forced him to start his engine to avoid colliding with the yacht, which was later found missing.
The UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) is sending a team of inspectors to Palermo to assess the situation, though their arrival time has not been specified.
Mike Lynch, who is missing, has faced legal issues since 2011 when he sold Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard (HP) for $11 billion. In June, he was acquitted of fraud in San Francisco after being accused of inflating Autonomy’s revenue. Lynch turned research from Cambridge University into the foundation of Autonomy, which became a major British software company.
Records show that the yacht is owned by Revtom Limited, a company registered in the Isle of Man, with Angela Bacares listed as its owner.
