Terrifying CCTV footage shows the moment the Bayesian superyacht is hammered by the vicious storm that would ultimately sink it “in just 60 seconds”.
Video taken from a villa just 200 yards from where the vessel sank shows the yacht’s blinking lights visible in the distance as torrential rain slams down.
The homeowner told local newspaper Giornale Di Sicilia: “In just sixty seconds – says the owner of the villa – you can see the ship disappear.
“Of about twenty cameras installed in the house, only one was not disturbed by the wind and rain. You can clearly see what is happening.
“There was nothing that could be done for the boat. It disappeared in a very short time.”
Divers have been warned they face a “critical 24 hours” as they continue their search for the six people still missing after the yacht sank on Monday.
The yacht belonged to British businessman Mike Lynch, who is among the kissing people along with his 18-year-old daughter.
Speaking to Sky News, salvage expert Nicholas Sloane warned that survivors could be in air pockets but added that, if this is the case, the divers need to work quickly to get them out.
He said: “They’ve got a very small window of time to try to find people stuck inside with hopefully an air pocket, and they could be rescued.
“You’ve got a maximum of two to three days to try to get someone one, so the next 24 hours are critical.
“If the yacht is on its side, it might have more air pockets than if it’s upright. She’s got quite a large keel, and that will deflect and put her on her side, I’m sure.”
As divers continue their search, Vincenzo Zagarola of the Italian coastguard told the PA news agency that “our search and rescue activity by sea and air has gone on for around 36 hours.”
He added that there are fears the missing six ” may not have had time to get out of the boat.”
Mr Zagarola said: “Of course, we do not exclude that they are not inside the boat, but we know the boat sank quickly…we suppose that the six people missing may not have had time to get out of the boat.”
Asked whether the missing people could have survived, he replied: “Never say never, but reasonably the answer should be not.”
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