PORTICELLO, ITALY – The recent superyacht sinking off the coast of Sicily on Monday has led to the death of six individuals, with one person still unaccounted for. The vessel had capsized amidst a storm while docked near the Porticello port, causing it to sink rapidly, according to eyewitness accounts.
Rescue teams have successfully extracted five bodies from the wreckage of the luxury yacht. Earlier this week, another individual was confirmed dead during the incident, bumping the total death toll to six. The names and gender of the deceased have not yet been disclosed.
The search operation for the missing passenger has been fraught with difficulties owing to the yacht’s tilted position, which is submerged about 50 meters (164 feet) deep. Restrictive entry points, thick glass windows, and obstructions created by the presence of various objects and electrical cables have hampered the divers’ access to the sleeping locations and other interior spaces of the ship. Divers claim that the depth of the wreck limits their exploration to a mere 10 minutes before needing to resurface.
Lost in the tragic incident were cybersecurity entrepreneur Mike Lynch and his daughter Hannah, both British nationals. Also reportedly missing are Jonathan Bloomer, the chair of Morgan Stanley International, and his wife Judy Bloomer. Chris Morvillo, a lawyer for Clifford Chance, and his wife, jewelry designer Neda Morvillo, have also been reported missing.
The casualty confirmed by the Italian Coast Guard was a Canadian-Antiguan chef named Recaldo Thomas. The yacht, Bayesian, was reportedly hosting a celebratory trip for Lynch, following his recent acquittal by a U.S. court on charges of conspiracy and wire fraud.
Also on board the ship and rescued were 14 individuals, including Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, along with a year-old baby and her parents.