A luxury yacht, the Bayesian, sank off the coast of Sicily early Monday morning after being struck by an unexpectedly severe storm, leaving one dead and six missing, including British tech tycoon Mike Lynch. The incident occurred just before sunrise near the port of Porticello, close to Palermo. The 56-meter yacht, registered in Britain, was carrying 22 people, including passengers and crew members, when it capsized in the violent weather.
A Storm Turns Deadly
According to reports from Italy’s Coast Guard, the Bayesian was anchored roughly half a mile from the port when it was hit by a powerful waterspout—a mini-tornado over water. The storm, which unleashed fierce gales and rough seas, had been forecasted, but the intensity of the weather far exceeded expectations. Karsten Borner, the captain of a nearby vessel, described how he had to start his ship’s engines to avoid being dragged by the storm, narrowly escaping the same fate as the Bayesian.
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“We managed to keep the ship in position, and after the storm was over, we noticed that the ship behind us was gone,” Borner told Reuters.
Rescue efforts began immediately, with the Italian Coast Guard and fire department divers dispatched to the scene. Fifteen people, including a one-year-old child, were rescued and taken to local hospitals, where they were reported to be in stable condition. The body of one man was recovered from the wreck, while six others—four Britons, two Americans, and one Canadian—remain missing.
Survivors’ Accounts
Survivors of the tragedy have recounted harrowing tales of their battle against the elements. One survivor, identified only as Charlotte, described to Italian news agency ANSA how she fought to hold onto her one-year-old daughter, Sofia, as the yacht was engulfed by waves.
“In two seconds, I lost the baby in the sea, then I immediately hugged her again amidst the fury of the waves. I held her tightly, close to me, while the sea was stormy. Many were screaming,” Charlotte said.
The yacht’s captain, who survived the incident, is cooperating with authorities in their investigation into what went wrong. Italian prosecutors in the town of Termini Imerese have opened a formal inquiry into the sinking.
The Missing: A Tycoon Among Them
Among the six missing is British entrepreneur Mike Lynch, the founder of software giant Autonomy. Lynch, who has been embroiled in legal battles in recent years following the sale of his company to Hewlett-Packard, was reportedly on board with his wife, Angela Bacares. Bacares was among the rescued, but Lynch and a child are still unaccounted for.
Lynch, a prominent figure in the tech world, had been a pioneer in developing advanced search technologies and had advised the British government on innovation. His disappearance has sent shockwaves through both the business community and the wider public.
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The search for the missing continues, with divers scouring the wreckage, which lies at a depth of 49 meters (160 feet). Helicopters have also been deployed to aid in the rescue operations. The Bayesian, built by Italian shipbuilder Perini Navi in 2008, was designed to carry up to 12 passengers and 10 crew members. At the time of the accident, the yacht was on a Mediterranean voyage that had begun in Milazzo on August 14, with its next scheduled stop in Bagheria.