Porticello, Italy – Divers searching the wreckage of the luxury yacht Bayesian, which sank off the coast of Sicily on Monday, have recovered five of the six missing passengers. Four of the bodies have been brought ashore, while the search continues for the final victim.
The Bayesian, a 56-meter superyacht, was carrying 22 people when it capsized and sank 50 meters to the seabed after being struck by a freak waterspout. The tragedy occurred 700 meters off the coast during severe weather. Of the 22 onboard, 15 survived, including a British mother who saved her infant daughter by holding her above the water’s surface.
The Italian Coastguard has not yet formally identified the bodies, despite reports that prominent individuals, including British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, his daughter Hannah, and Morgan Stanley Bank International chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy, were among the passengers.
On Wednesday, two bodies were brought ashore at Porticello harbor in the afternoon, with two more recovered later in the evening before the search was halted due to fading light. The operation resumed Thursday, with divers facing challenging conditions as the yacht lies on its side with debris blocking access points.
The first fatality confirmed was the yacht’s chef, Canadian-Antiguan national Recaldo Thomas, whose body was discovered on Monday.
Authorities have yet to officially identify those recovered, as Italian law requires formal identification by a family member before the deaths can be certified. The yacht’s passengers were reportedly celebrating Lynch’s recent acquittal in a high-profile U.S. fraud case.
A team of British inspectors from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has arrived to assist with the investigation, which will commence once all bodies are recovered.
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