A luxury yacht sank off the coast of Sicily early Monday morning, leaving one person dead and six others missing, including British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch. The 56-meter British-flagged yacht, Bayesian, was carrying 22 people—12 passengers and 10 crew—when a sudden and violent storm hit the region. The vessel was anchored near Porticello, a small fishing village east of Palermo, when the storm, which created waterspouts, caused the yacht’s mast to snap and the ship to capsize.
The Bayesian disappeared beneath the waves at around 5:00 a.m. local time. Nearby vessels reported seeing a distress flare and found survivors adrift in a life raft. Among those rescued was British tourist Charlotte Golunski, who described the harrowing moment when she nearly lost her one-year-old daughter in the storm. “I held her afloat with all my strength… It felt like the end of the world,” she told La Repubblica.
Witnesses recounted how the storm’s intensity left little time for those onboard to react. Karsten Borner, the captain of a nearby vessel, described seeing cushions and debris scattered across the water in the aftermath, but few signs of life. Another local fisherman saw the yacht sinking, saying, “It was still floating, and then it just disappeared.”
The Italian coastguard confirmed that 15 people were rescued, but the search for the missing continues. Authorities fear that those still unaccounted for may be trapped within the wreckage, which lies about 50 meters below the surface. Among the missing is Mike Lynch, known for founding software company Autonomy and recently cleared of fraud allegations in the UK.
Rescue operations remain ongoing, with divers and helicopters scouring the area. A specialized search team from Rome has joined efforts in hopes of locating the missing before time runs out. The UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch has also dispatched investigators to assess the tragedy.
As Sicily’s civil protection agency continues to search, hopes are fading. “We’ve been searching all day and found nothing,” said spokesperson Francesco Venuto. For the families of those still missing, the wait for answers grows increasingly painful.
This devastating incident has shaken all involved, as survivors grapple with the horror of the sinking and the loss of colleagues, friends, and loved ones.