On August 20, 2024, a rescue vessel from the Italian fire brigade Vigilli del Fuoco is sailing off Porticello near Palermo, a day after the sinking of the British-flagged luxury yacht Bayesian.
Alberto Pizzoli | Afp | Getty Images
Divers resumed the search on Wednesday for six passengers who remain missing after a superyacht sank in stormy weather early Monday morning, killing one person.
Those reported missing include British technology entrepreneur Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah, Morgan Stanley International chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife and charity director Judy Bloomer, Clifford Chance’s lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife, jewellery designer Neda Morvillo.
The Italian Coast Guard confirmed to Sky News on Tuesday that the man killed in the incident was Canadian-Antigua chef Recardo Thomas.
According to reports from witnesses and survivors, the ship was rocked violently by a storm around 4 a.m. Monday while anchored near the Sicilian port of Porticello. It capsized and quickly sank.
Less than three months later, Lynch was found not guilty in a U.S. court of 15 counts of conspiracy and wire fraud related to the 2011 sale of software company Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard. Lynch has long denied allegations that he artificially inflated the company’s value before the $11.7 billion sale, and was extradited from Britain in 2023 to stand trial in the U.S.
Mike Lynch, former CEO of Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s Autonomous Driving division, speaks at a conference on Thursday, April 25, 2013.
Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images
The trip aboard the British-flagged luxury yacht Bayesian is seen as a celebration of Lynch’s acquittal. Morvillo represented Lynch in the case, while Bloomer, who is Morgan Stanley’s European chairman and non-executive director, testified for the defense.
Lynch’s wife, Angela Vacares, was on board the boat and was rescued along with 14 other people, including their 1-year-old baby and her parents.
Rescue teams reported difficulty accessing the wreck, which is about 50 meters deep. Divers said the vessel appeared intact, but the narrow access point, thick glass windows, and various objects and wires made access difficult.
On Tuesday, emergency services said fire department divers were investigating the wreck and had gained access to some rooms below the control panel. However, access to the cabin remained difficult and the presence of the missing people could not be confirmed, police added.
The 56-meter-long sailing ship Bayesian later sank off the Sicilian capital Palermo, this photo was taken on August 18, 2024, off Santa Flavia, Italy, and is a photo obtained from social media.
Baia Santa Nicolichia | Fabio La Bianca | via Reuters
In a separate incident on Saturday, Stephen Chamberlain, a former vice president of finance at Autonomy and a co-defendant in the lynching trial, was hit by a car while driving in Cambridgeshire, England, Chamberlain’s lawyer said. He told Reuters.
