August 19th 2024.
British tech giant Mike Lynch, his lawyer, and four other people were reported missing after their luxury superyacht sank off the coast of Sicily, Italy during a sudden and unexpected storm. His wife and 14 others, including a one-year-old girl, were among the survivors who managed to escape the sinking ship. Sadly, six people, including Lynch, remained unaccounted for as the Italian authorities launched a rescue operation.
The sailboat, which was anchored near Palermo in southern Italy, overturned around 5am on Monday due to a waterspout that struck the area. The 56-meter British-flagged Bayesian had a crew of 10 people and 12 passengers, including British, American, and Canadian nationals. The Italian coast guard reported that one body had been recovered and police divers were attempting to reach the hull of the ship, which had sunk to a depth of 50 meters.
According to Salvo Cocina of Sicily's civil protection agency, the sudden storm was the cause of the disaster, hitting the area where the Bayesian was moored. He stated that the yacht was in the wrong place at the wrong time and noted that another superyacht nearby was not as severely damaged and was able to rescue some of the 15 survivors.
The Bayesian was known for its impressive 75-meter mast, one of the world's tallest made of aluminum, which was illuminated at night. It was available for rent for up to €195,000 per week on online charter sites. One of the survivors, identified only as Charlotte, shared her harrowing experience of momentarily losing her one-year-old daughter Sofia in the water, but miraculously managed to hold her above the waves until they were rescued by a lifeboat.
Karsten Borner, captain of a nearby trawler, described how his crew had to start the engine to keep their ship in the right anchoring position during the intense storm. He recounted the chaos that ensued once the storm had passed and they noticed that the Bayesian had disappeared. Borner and his first mate went to the position where they saw a red flare and found a life raft drifting with 15 people inside. Four of them were injured and three were seriously injured. They were brought to Borner's ship and the coast guard was alerted.
Eight of the 15 survivors were hospitalized, while one body was found near the wreck. Six others were still missing, according to Luca Cari, a spokesperson for the Italian fire rescue service. Rescue efforts were underway to reach the submerged vessel and deep-water police divers were involved in the operation.
Local fisherman Francesco Cefalu also saw a flare and immediately set out to the site, but by the time he arrived, the Bayesian had already sunk. He alerted the coast guard and stayed on site for three hours, but did not find any survivors. He speculated that the sudden waterspout may have caused the mast to break or the anchor to pull, leading to the yacht's sinking.
The missing person at the center of this tragedy, Mike Lynch, is a British tech giant who founded the software company Autonomy and served as its CEO until it was acquired by Hewlett Packard in 2011. Lynch, who was previously hailed as Britain's king of technology, was cleared of fraud and conspiracy charges earlier this year related to the HP deal. However, the acquisition turned into a costly legal battle for the Silicon Valley pioneer.
The yacht, built in 2008 by the Italian firm Perini Navi, was able to accommodate 12 passengers in four double cabins, a triple, and a master suite, along with crew accommodations. It featured a sleek and minimalist interior designed by the French designer Remi Tessier and was previously known as Salute when it flew under a Dutch flag. The tragic incident serves as a reminder of the unpredictable and dangerous nature of the sea, and our thoughts are with the families and loved ones of those affected.
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