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Search for Missing Passengers Continues After Yacht Tragedy off Sicily
The search operation for missing passengers continues following a tragic yacht accident off the coast of Sicily. Authorities and rescue teams are working tirelessly to locate survivors and uncover details surrounding the incident.
Search Continues for Missing Passengers After Yacht Tragedy off Sicily
Deep-sea divers from Italy’s firefighter corps resumed their search efforts on Tuesday morning for six passengers who remain missing following the sinking of a yacht off the picturesque coast of Sicily the previous day. Among the missing are notable figures, including a British software mogul and his daughter.
The vessel, a British-flagged sailing yacht named Bayesian, measures 180 feet in length and was anchored near the port of Porticello when it encountered a sudden and violent storm. Eyewitnesses reported that the yacht was struck by what is known as a waterspout — essentially a small tornado over water — which contributed to the rapid sinking of the ship.
Out of the 22 individuals on board, 15 were fortunate enough to find safety on a life raft and were subsequently rescued by the captain of a nearby sailing cruise ship. Tragically, the body of the ship’s cook was recovered on Monday, highlighting the serious nature of the incident. Several others, however, remain unaccounted for.
According to Salvatore Cocina, an official with Sicily’s civil protection agency, the missing individuals include:
- Mike Lynch: A British technology entrepreneur who recently faced legal challenges.
- Hannah Lynch: Mike Lynch’s daughter.
- Jonathan Bloomer: Chairman of Morgan Stanley International, along with his wife.
- Christopher J. Morvillo: A lawyer at Clifford Chance, accompanied by his wife.
It is worth noting that Mike Lynch was acquitted of fraud in a high-profile trial in the United States this past June. This verdict concluded a decade-long legal battle regarding allegations that he defrauded Hewlett-Packard when he sold his company, Autonomy, for an astonishing $11 billion.
The tragic news surrounding Mr. Lynch emerged just days after a separate incident in which Stephen Chamberlain, a former vice president of finance at Autonomy and co-defendant in Mr. Lynch’s fraud trial, was fatally struck by a car while out for a run. His lawyer, Gary S. Lincenberg, confirmed this heartbreaking development in a statement.