British Billionaire Mike Lynch Is Missing! Tornado Destroys His Superyacht - Reports

British tech mogul Mike Lynch is missing after his superyacht, Bayesian, sank off Sicily's coast during a storm.

Mike Lynch, a British tech entrepreneur, is missing after the superyacht Bayesian sank off Sicily's coast.

The incident occurred during a tornado around 5 am, resulting in one death and six others missing.

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Among those rescued was Lynch's wife, Angela Bacares. The missing individuals include British, American, and Canadian nationals. The Bayesian, a 56-meter yacht with a 75-meter mast, was built in 2008 and initially priced at £30 million. Severe winds and a tornado are believed to have caused the sinking. Emergency services recovered one body from the wreckage.

Rescue Efforts Continue

Rescue operations are ongoing with helicopters, boats, and divers involved. Specialist cave divers are being flown to Sicily to assist in the search for survivors. The Italian Coast Guard reported that the yacht sank in a seabed about 50 meters deep.

The UK's Marine Accident Investigation Branch is sending a team for a preliminary assessment of the sinking. The Foreign Office is in contact with local authorities and ready to provide consular support to affected British nationals, as reported by The Telegraph.

Survivors and Witness Accounts

Fifteen people were rescued by coast guard patrol boats and firefighters, including a one-year-old child who is now being treated in the hospital along with her mother. Witnesses described the sinking as a "terrible misfortune" and "deeply shocking."

The BAIA Santa Nicolicchia restaurant in Porticello witnessed the incident and called it an "unbelievable tragedy," stating they were "lost for words," as reported by The Telegraph. Aerial footage shared on social media by Italy's fire and rescue service shows the wreck identified at a depth of 50 meters.

Lynch's Background

Lynch founded software giant Autonomy and was awarded an OBE for services to enterprise in 2006. He spent over a decade clearing his name after Autonomy executives were accused of illegal accounting practices. In 2018, he was charged with fraud in the US but was found not guilty in June.

The yacht had mostly British nationals on board when it sank. Four Britons are among those missing, along with one Canadian and two Americans, as per media reports. The yacht was flying a United Kingdom flag at the time of its sinking.

The incident occurred in Porticello during a severe storm that caused widespread damage and dislodged boats from their moorings. The Bayesian had arrived in Porticello after visiting Milazzo and Cefalù.

This tragic event has left many shocked as rescue efforts continue to locate the missing passengers. The search is being conducted by Coast Guard personnel and firefighters who remain hopeful of finding survivors.