Search continues for British tech mogul after yacht capsizes in Sicily

Divers continued their search on Tuesday, Aug. 20, for six missing people after a storm sank the luxury yacht Bayesian off Sicily’s coast. Among those missing are British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, his 18-year-old daughter, and several prominent figures, including a Morgan Stanley executive and a Clifford Chance lawyer. The yacht, anchored near Porticello, capsized on Monday, leaving 15 survivors and one body recovered.

The Bayesian, a 184-foot British-flagged superyacht, was carrying 22 people when it was struck by the intense weather. Divers, facing challenging conditions at a depth of 160 feet, are meticulously searching the wreck for any signs of the missing passengers.

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Concerns have grown that the bodies may be trapped inside the vessel.

Fire department diver Marco Tilotta noted that the depth of the wreck poses significant challenges for extended underwater searches. He emphasized the team’s detailed approach, saying, “We plan to search centimeter by centimeter.”

The missing passengers include Lynch, who is widely known as one of the U.K.’s top tech entrepreneurs, his daughter, Jonathan Bloomer, the chairman of Morgan Stanley International, Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo, and their wives.

Lynch is known for founding Autonomy, the U.K.’s largest software firm. Lynch sold Autonomy to HP for $11 billion in 2011, but the deal led to a fraud accusation and a lengthy trial.

In June, Lynch was acquitted by a San Francisco jury. Morvillo represented Lynch during the trial, and Bloomer had testified as a character witness on his behalf.

Lynch’s co-defendant in the trial, Stephen Chamberlain, died in a car accident in Britain on Aug. 17, according to his lawyer.

The Bayesian incident follows weeks of extreme weather in Italy. Storms and heavy rainfall have impacted the region, with unusually warm sea temperatures around Sicily, nearly 86 F, contributing to the severe conditions.

The British government’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch has dispatched inspectors to conduct a preliminary assessment of the incident. Investigators will focus on whether the yacht’s crew had taken appropriate safety measures ahead of the storm, including closing access hatches.