Prominent UK tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter are missing after their superyacht sank off the coast of Sicily during a severe storm. The yacht, named Bayesian, was carrying 22 people when it went down in the early hours of Monday. Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, was among the 15 people rescued by Italian coastguards, but six others remain unaccounted for.
The 56-meter yacht encountered violent weather near Porticello, reportedly struck by a waterspout, a rare weather phenomenon that resembles a tornado over water. Local fishermen reported seeing a distress flare before finding debris scattered in the sea.
One body has been recovered from the scene, while rescue teams continue searching for the missing, including Lynch and his daughter. The yacht’s wreckage lies at a depth of approximately 49 meters, complicating rescue efforts.
Lynch, 59, is best known as the founder of Autonomy Corporation, a pioneering UK software firm. He recently made headlines after being acquitted of fraud charges in the United States related to the $11.1 billion sale of Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard in 2011. Lynch had been looking forward to resuming his work and spending time with his family after the lengthy legal battle.
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) is coordinating with Italian authorities and providing support to British nationals affected by the incident. The cause of the yacht’s sinking is under investigation by Italian authorities.
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