Billionaire, Six others missing and one dead after tornado sinks luxury yacht off Sicily
Rescuers are searching for six people, including British tech billionaire Mike Lynch, after a luxury yacht was struck by a tornado and sank off the coast of Sicily early Monday. One of the 22 people aboard has been confirmed dead.
The yacht, anchored near Porticello, was hit by the tornado around 5 a.m. local time, according to Italy’s Coast Guard. Among the missing are four Britons and two Americans, while Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, was among the 15 people rescued.
The yacht, named “Bayesian,” was carrying a mostly British group when it sank. The vessel’s captain survived, and the Italian fire brigade has been searching the wreck, now resting 160 feet below sea level.
Lynch, founder of software giant Autonomy, had been facing legal challenges since selling his company to Hewlett-Packard for $11 billion in 2011.
The UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch is sending inspectors to Sicily to assess the yacht. Meanwhile, severe weather warnings had been issued across southern Italy, with strong winds and storms contributing to the tragedy.
A survivor described the harrowing moments during the disaster, struggling to hold onto her infant daughter as waves engulfed the yacht. Despite the chaos, 15 people were rescued, though one child had to be airlifted to a hospital in Palermo.
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