A luxury sailing boat sank after a water tornado ripped through Sicily’s northern coast on Monday, prompting a large-scale search and rescue operation.
According to Italy’s Coast Goard, twenty two people were on board when the tornado hit. They were eventually able to rescue fifteen people from the wreckage.
On Monday evening, rescue workers recovered one body. Five additional bodies were discovered inside the yacht, which was sitting 50 meters underwater, on Wednesday.
While the bodies recovered on Wednesday have not yet been identified, the one found on Monday is believed to be that of Ricardo Thomas, the onboard chef.
What Happened On Monday?
On Monday, August 19th, at approximately 5 a.m. local time, The Bayesian, a 183-foot-long luxury yacht
sunk off the coast of Porticello, after it was capsized by a small water tornado.
At the time, the boat was anchored about half a mile from the port of Porticello. According to the head of Sicily’s Civil Protection, Salvatore Cocina, it ultimately sank after the storm broke its mast into two.
Eyewitnesses described the hurricane-like winds that left a mountain of debris near the coast.
The captain of a nearby boat, who had to steady his own vessel to avoid colliding with the yacht, said he saw over a dozen survivors in the area hanging onto life rafts.
Once the storm was over, he and his crew rescued four injured individuals, before notifying the Coast Guard, who arrived and rescued the remaining survivors.
One of the survivors, a one-year-old girl, was transported to a children’s hospital in Palermo by air. Her mother later recalled holding onto her as they were tossed around by the waves. Both have since been reunited with her father.
In total, eight people were hospitalized.
Who were On the Luxury Yacht?
The British-flagged Bayesian was carrying twenty two people at the time of the sinking, the majority of whom were British. There were also two Anglo-French, one Sri Lankan, and one Irish individual on board.
Among those who were reported missing were 59-year-old Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter. According to his wife, Angela Bacares, they weren’t concerned initially when the boat started to tilt at approximately 4 a.m. local time. It wasn’t until the windows shattered that chaos erupted in the yacht.
Others who were reported missing included prominent attorney Christopher Morvillo and his wife, Neda Morvillo, and Jonathan Bloomer, the Chairman of Morgan Stanley International and his wife Judy Bloomer.
According to a source, those onboard the yacht were celebrating after Lynch was acquitted for a financial fraud trial in June.
The Final Body Found
Rescue workers recovered the final body, believed to be that of Hannah Lynch, the tech tycoon’s 18-year-old daughter, from the wreckage on Friday.
According to a spokesperson for the family, the Lynch Family is ‘devastated and in shock’ and are currently being cared for by friends and family.
The Prosecutor’s Office is now investigating how the luxury yacht, which was touted as ‘unsinkable’ sank in the storm. They are also looking to lay manslaughter charges, though it’s unclear at this time who will be receiving the charges.
A press conference will be held on Saturday.
