Software billionaire Mike Lynch’s daughter is missing after a storm caused the sinking of their yacht off the coast of Sicily, Italian authorities reported. Salvatore Cocina, director general of Sicily’s civil protection agency, confirmed that 18-year-old Hannah Lynch, her father, and the yacht’s chef, Ricardo Thomas, are among those unaccounted for. The rescue operation is ongoing, with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) providing support to British nationals affected by the incident.
The yacht, named Bayesian, reportedly capsized early in the morning near Palermo, flying a British flag. While 15 individuals, including Mike Lynch’s wife, were rescued, the whereabouts of six tourists, including Lynch, remain unknown. A body, believed to be that of the chef, has been recovered. Italian news sources mention that four of the missing passengers are British and two are American, among a total of 22 people on board.
The luxury yacht, measuring 56 meters, was constructed in 2008 by Italian company Perini Navi and is registered under the name Revtom Ltd. The company’s Isle of Man base raises questions, with little online information available. The vessel had recently completed several trips, visiting various ports in Sicily. The tragic incident has drawn international attention, with investigations ongoing to determine the cause of the yacht’s sinking and the fate of those missing amidst the wreckage.