In a tragic development off the coast of Sicily, Italian authorities have confirmed the recovery of British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch’s body from the wreckage of the superyacht Bayesian, which sank earlier this week in a powerful storm. The search for his 18-year-old daughter, Hannah Lynch, remains ongoing, according to Massimo Mariani, an official from Italy’s interior ministry. Divers continue to comb the area where the yacht went down.
The luxury vessel, which was anchored near Porticello, a small harbor close to Palermo, was carrying 22 people, including 10 crew members, when it was hit by a waterspout before dawn on August 19, 2024. The storm caused the yacht’s mast to break and the vessel to sink rapidly. So far, 15 people have been rescued, and the bodies of five others have been recovered, but six remain unaccounted for, including Lynch’s daughter.
Eyewitness Accounts and the Search Effort
Eyewitnesses and security footage captured the harrowing moments leading up to the yacht’s demise. A local villa owner near where the Bayesian was anchored reported reviewing his CCTV footage after hearing news of the sinking. He described the yacht vanishing beneath the waves in under a minute, offering a stark reminder of the storm’s intensity. The witness told Italian media, “There was nothing that could be done for the vessel. It disappeared in a very short time.”
Since the wreck, rescue operations have been underway, with divers working in difficult conditions. The yacht rests approximately 50 meters (around 150 feet) below the surface, limiting the amount of time divers can safely explore the site. Italian authorities have recovered bodies from the wreck, but formal identification processes are still required before all names are confirmed, in accordance with Italian law.
Notable Figures Among the Missing
The sinking of the Bayesian has attracted significant media attention, in part due to the high-profile passengers aboard. Besides Mike Lynch, a renowned entrepreneur and former CEO of Autonomy Corp, the other missing passengers include Jonathan Bloomer, chairman of Morgan Stanley International, and his wife Judy. Also missing are prominent American lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife, Neda. All were aboard the vessel when it was struck by the waterspout.
Italian authorities have refrained from releasing the names of those whose bodies have been recovered until formal identification by relatives has taken place.
The Bayesian and Questions About Safety
The Bayesian, a 56-meter (184-foot) superyacht, was built in 2008 by the Italian shipbuilder Perini Navi. The yacht was described as a masterpiece of engineering, known for its towering mast, which was among the tallest in the world for a sailing vessel. Giovanni Costantino, CEO of The Italian Sea Group, which acquired Perini Navi in 2021, expressed disbelief over the yacht’s sinking.
“Sailing ships are widely regarded as the safest type of vessel, especially in storm conditions, because of their low surface area in relation to the wind,” Costantino told Sky News. He emphasized that the yacht was constructed to be “unsinkable” due to its drift keel design, making the sudden sinking even more baffling.
Initial reports from Italian investigators suggest that the waterspout that formed in the area may have been responsible for the catastrophic failure. Waterspouts, though rare in Sicily, are known to generate extremely dangerous conditions. In this case, the violent winds and heavy rain that accompanied the waterspout are believed to have overwhelmed the yacht, causing its mast to snap and sending the vessel into the sea within minutes.
Investigations Underway
Both Italian and British authorities are now probing the circumstances of the yacht’s sinking. Italy’s criminal investigation will likely seek to understand how the storm impacted the vessel, while the UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has also launched an inquiry. A team of MAIB inspectors has been deployed to Sicily to assess the wreckage and gather information on the sequence of events that led to the incident.
As the search for the remaining missing passengers continues, many questions remain unanswered about how the Bayesian met such a tragic fate. The world awaits further updates from rescue teams and investigators as they work to uncover the full story behind this devastating loss at sea.
