Foreign Office supporting ‘number of British nationals and their families’ after luxury yacht sinks off coast of Sicily

19 August 2024, 13:51 | Updated: 19 August 2024, 18:03

The Foreign Office says it’s supporting “a number of British nationals and their families” after a luxury yacht sunk off the coast of Sicily.

One person’s died after the £14million superyacht was hit by a tornado – including British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch who is reported to be one of the six people missing.

His wife Angela Bacares was confirmed as having been rescued, it was reported.

Lynch was acquitted in the US earlier this year in a multi-billion pound fraud case.

The yacht was owned by him, according to reports.

So far, 15 people have been rescued by coast guards on patrol boats and firefighters, including a one-year-old baby.

The child’s mother, Charlotte, said her daughter is now being treated in the Di Cristina hospital in Palermo.Recounting how she protected her baby as the vessel sunk, Charlotte said: “I held her afloat with all my strength, my arms stretched upwards to keep her from drowning.

“It was all dark. In the water I couldn’t keep my eyes open. I screamed for help but all I could hear around me was the screams of others.”

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Speaking to local news website la Repubblica, she added that her husband, James, had suffered minor injuries and was taken to Civico hospital in Palermo. 

Charlotte said she had reassured her husband that their child was ok and the pair promised to hug each other again soon.

Filippo Tripoli, the mayor of Bagheria in Sicily, said: “This morning, off the coast of Santa Flavia, a foreign boat sunk due to bad weather, 15 people recovered and seven missing.

“Already all the police forces and emergency services are operational and our Red Cross volunteers are present.

“CCTV from Monday morning showed the fierce storm, including water spouts, that battered the area.Umbrellas, plant pots, tables and chairs were sent flying in the strong winds.

The owners of local restaurant Baia Santa Nicolicchia said: “We have no memory of anything like this in our area.”

The British-flagged, 56-metre Bayesian had a crew of 10 people and 12 passengers, representing British, American and Canadian nationalities, the Italian coast guard said.

Read more: Brit tech tycoon Mike Lynch ‘missing’ after superyacht Bayesian sank in ‘tornado’ off Sicily

Read more: One dead and six missing as British-flagged yacht sinks after being ‘hit by tornado’ in Italy

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office says it is supporting “a number of British nationals and their families” after a luxury yacht sunk off the coast of Sicily.

“We are providing consular support to a number of British nationals and their families following an incident in Sicily, and are in contact with the local authorities,” an FCDO spokesperson said in a statement.