The body believed to be that of Hannah Lynch, the 18-year-old daughter of British tech mogul Mike Lynch, was recovered from the wreck of the Bayesian superyacht off the coast of Sicily, an Italian coast guard official confirmed on Friday. This marks the end of a five-day search following the tragic sinking of the luxury yacht earlier in the week.
A CNN team on the ground witnessed Italian divers carrying the final body bag from a rescue boat in the Porticello harbor. The search had been complicated by the fact that the wreck was located nearly 50 meters (160 feet) underwater, giving divers only a brief 12-minute window to reach the site, explore its cabins, and return to the surface.
Hannah Lynch’s body was the last to be found after six others were recovered in previous days, including her father, Mike Lynch, whose body was identified on Thursday. The sinking of the British-flagged Bayesian, which had 22 passengers and crew aboard, left only 15 survivors. The vessel sank after its towering mast broke during a violent storm early Monday morning.
A Tragic Loss
Among those initially reported missing were Mike Lynch and his daughter Hannah, alongside Morgan Stanley International director Jonathan Bloomer and his wife, Judy, as well as prominent American lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife, Neda. The body of the ship’s chef, Recaldo Thomas, was the first to be recovered, and efforts to bring the remaining bodies to shore were carried out over several days.
In a statement following the recovery of Hannah Lynch’s body, a family spokesperson expressed their grief: “The family is devastated, in shock, and is being comforted and supported by friends and family. Their thoughts are with everyone affected by the tragedy, and they are deeply grateful to the Italian coastguard and all who assisted in the rescue. The family asks for privacy during this time of unspeakable grief.”
Hannah Lynch was set to begin her studies in English Literature at the University of Oxford in the fall. Her former teacher, Jon Mitropoulos-Monk, Head of English at Latymer Upper School in London, shared a heartfelt tribute to the promising student: “I’ve never taught someone who combined sky-high intellectual ability with warmth and enthusiasm in the way Hannah did. She lit up the classroom with her energy, passion for learning, and sheer intelligence.”
Lynch’s mother, Angela Bacares, survived the wreck and is receiving treatment at a hospital in Sicily.
Investigating the Tragic Sinking
As the recovery effort concludes, questions remain regarding how the 56-meter (184-foot) superyacht sank so quickly. Unverified security footage released earlier in the week seems to show a waterspout—a tornado-like phenomenon formed over water—engulfing the yacht before it rapidly sank.
A witness who owns a villa near the anchorage site reviewed his CCTV footage, which captured the yacht’s disappearance. “In just 60 seconds, you can see the ship disappear,” he told Italian news outlet ANSA. “There was nothing that could be done for the vessel. It disappeared in a very short time.”
Despite these natural forces, Giovanni Constantino, CEO of The Italian Sea Group, the manufacturer of the yacht, cited a series of avoidable errors that may have contributed to the sinking. In an interview with Corriere della Sera, Constantino explained that the crew should have locked down the yacht’s hull, secured all doors and hatches, and gathered the guests at a designated assembly point when the storm was forecasted.
A Painful Closure
As investigators work to determine the precise cause of the ship’s rapid sinking, the Lynch family, along with others affected by the tragedy, continue to mourn the loss of their loved ones. Hannah Lynch, remembered as a bright and passionate young woman with a promising future, will be deeply missed by her family and friends.
