A tragic maritime incident unfolded early Monday as a 56-metre superyacht, the Bayesian, sank off the coast of the Italian island of Sicily, resulting in one death and six people still missing, including British technology entrepreneur Mike Lynch.
The British-flagged yacht, which had 22 people on board, capsized around 5 a.m. local time near Palermo in severe weather conditions. The vessel, reportedly costing around £173,000 a week to rent, was anchored approximately 700 metres from Porticello port when it was struck by a waterspout—a rare, tornado-like phenomenon over water.
According to the Italian coastguard, 15 people were rescued and taken to Porticello, where eight are receiving hospital treatment. Among the survivors are Lynch’s wife and a one-year-old child. The body of a man, identified as the yacht’s chef, was found near the wreckage.
The missing include four British passengers, two Americans, and a Canadian. Lynch, the founder of the software company Autonomy, had recently been acquitted of a multibillion-pound fraud case in the US. A representative for Lynch declined to comment on the current situation.
Witnesses described the intense and sudden nature of the disaster. A coastguard official reported that the bad weather was anticipated but not of the magnitude that caused the sinking. A captain of a nearby vessel recounted that the yacht tilted and sank within minutes.
Emergency services, including helicopters, coastguard boats, and divers, are actively searching for the missing, with the wreckage located at a depth of 50 metres. The yacht, built by Perini Navi and delivered in 2008, could accommodate up to 12 guests and was last recorded anchored east of Palermo on Sunday evening.
The UK Foreign Ministry has confirmed it is in contact with Sicilian authorities and is prepared to offer consular support to those affected by the tragedy. The investigation into the incident is ongoing.
