A man has died and six people are missing after a UK-flagged superyacht sank off the coast of Sicily in a tornado – with a prominent British businessman among those unaccounted for.
Technology tycoon Mike Lynch owned the 56-metre vessel (183ft), named Bayesian.
Mr Lynch, known as the “British Bill Gates”, has been in the headlines in recent months over a high-profile fraud case.
In June, he was cleared of all charges by a US jury related to the sale of his software company Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard in 2011.
Mr Lynch’s 18-year-old daughter Hannah is among those missing after his yacht sank, local media reports.
Follow live updates: People missing after superyacht sinks
Mr Lynch’s wife Angela Bacares is confirmed to be among the 15 people who were rescued after the British-flagged yacht capsized at around 4.30am local time (3.30am UK time) on Monday.
One body has also been recovered, after being found close to the vessel, according to local media.
Read more:
Everything we know so far about luxury vessel sunk by tornado
The boat was hit by a tornado over the water, known as a waterspout, that struck where the yacht had been anchored during the storm.
Police divers have been trying to reach the hull of the ship, which is resting at a depth of 50 metres (163 feet) off Porticello, near Palermo.
During the rescue effort, divers saw “corpses through the portholes” of the wreck, Salvo Cocina, the head of the Civil Protection of Sicily, said.
“They were in the wrong place at the wrong time,” he added.
The incident comes days after Stephen Chamberlain, Mr Lynch’s co-accused in the fraud trial, died in a car collision in Stretham, Cambridgeshire.
Mr Chamberlain’s lawyer said he was “fatally struck” by a car while out running.
Most on board yacht thought to be British
The boat had 12 passengers and a crew of 10 people. Four of the missing passengers are British and two are American, Italian news website la Reppublica reports.
A body bag is lifted out of the water. Pic: Reuters
Most of those on board were reported to be from Britain – including a mother and one-year-old daughter who are among those rescued.
Speaking to the Giornale Di Sicilia newspaper, Charlotte Golunski said: “For two seconds I lost my baby in the sea, then I immediately hugged her again amid the fury of the waves.
Charlotte Golunski
“I held her tightly, close to me, while the sea was stormy. Many were screaming. Luckily, the lifeboat inflated and 11 of us managed to get on board.”
The boat which sank off the coast of Palermo. Pic: BAIA Santa Nicolicchia.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
CCTV of storm which capsized superyacht
Ms Golunski was reportedly given stitches for a chest injury following the ordeal. The father of the child also survived, Mr Cocina said.
Eight of the 15 people rescued and taken ashore at Porticello were taken to hospital, while the others were taken to a hotel.
The Italian coast guard said the boat had passengers from Britain, the US, and Canada.
Meanwhile, multiple Italian news outlets reported that people on the boat were from Britain, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, and Ireland.
British-French citizens were also among those on the superyacht, according to reports.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
One dead after yacht capsizes in tornado
The port in Palermo after the storm
Emergency workers at the scene. Pic: Reuters
‘I saw it sinking with my own eyes’
Pietro Asciutto, a fisherman from Porticello who witnessed the storm, told local media: “I was at home when the tornado hit. I immediately closed all the windows. Then I saw the boat, it had only one mast, it was very big. I saw it suddenly sink.”
He added: “I think the whirlwind came from Porticello… shortly afterwards I went down to Santa Nicolicchia Bay to get a better look at what was happening.
“The boat was still floating, then all of a sudden it disappeared. I saw it sinking with my own eyes.”
Fabio Cefalu, another local fisherman, called rescue services after spotting the wrecked boat off Porticello.
He said: “Around 3.55am we witnessed the whirlwind. After a quarter of an hour, we saw a flare 500 metres away from the dock.
“Around 4:35am we went out to sea for the rescue, however, we only saw the remains of the boat floating. There were no men in the sea. So we immediately called the harbour master’s office.”
Damage caused by the storm
A spokesman for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said: “We are in contact with the local authorities following an incident in Sicily, and stand ready to provide consular support to British nationals affected.”
Camper and Nicholsons, which provided yacht management services for the Bayesian, has confirmed the vessel sank at around 4.30am local time.
The company said in a statement: “The Italian coast guard is leading search and rescue operations, and has safely recovered 15 individuals. Efforts to locate the seven missing persons continue.
“Our priority is assisting with the ongoing search and providing all necessary support to the rescued passengers and crew.”
Online charter sites listed the Bayesian as available for rent for up to €195,000 (about £166,339) a week.
