Five bodies have now been found inside the sunken Bayesian superyacht as the search for the final missing passenger continues.
The boat sank in a severe storm in the early hours of Monday, with those missing including British billionaire Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah, Morgan Stanley International chairman Jonathan Bloomer; his wife, Judy Bloomer; Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo; and his wife, Neda Morvillo.
The corpses of four people, one of whom belonged to a “heavily-built man”, were recovered earlier on Wednesday. The head of Sicily’s civil protection agency Salvatore Cocina said that efforts to bring a fifth to shore were “ongoing”, while the whereabouts of the missing sixth person remains unknown.
Identities of the recovered bodies have not been confirmed by authorities, despite local and international media reporting some had been identified.
Fire crews have described the operation as “complex”, with divers limited to 12-minute underwater shifts, and debris hampering efforts to access the cabins.
One man, the boat’s chef Recaldo Thomas, was confirmed dead on Monday, while a further 15 people survived the disaster.
Have you been affected by this story? Email tara.cobham@independent.co.uk
Key Points
- Five bodies now found on sunken luxury yacht off coast of Sicily
- Three body bags seen being taken to Porticello port
- Identities of recovered bodies not yet confirmed by authorities
- Searches finish for day, with one person still missing, confirms civil protection agency
Captain of yacht who helped rescue 15 survivors of Bayesian disaster tells of ordeal
22:17
Tara Cobham
The captain of a yacht who helped to rescue 15 people from the stricken Bayesian superyacht has described how his crew spotted the distress flare set off from a life raft.
Karsten Borner said his vessel, the Sir Robert BP, was about 150 to 200 metres from the Bayesian when the "extreme" weather hit.
He said his boat was using its engine to stay in position and the crew noticed the Bayesian had disappeared before a passenger on his yacht spotted the flare.
Mr Borner said they dispatched their tender which found the life raft and brought the occupants back to his yacht.
He told Sky News: "We couldn't see them anymore and they disappeared from the radar, we were busy keeping our own ship sailing. We couldn't see the ship again so we were aware something was very wrong."
He said it was only when the tender set out that they found the life raft.
He said: "It turned out to be the life raft, a 12-person life raft with 15 people inside including one baby. They stepped over to our tender and we brought them back to our ship. There we took good care of them, gave them dry clothes, towels, blankets, tea and coffee and so on and took care of them."
Mr Borner said he helped the coastguard launch its search and rescue mission for the other occupants of the Bayesian.
He added that the captain of the Bayesian told him the yacht had sunk in two minutes but he had since seen a video which showed it go down in 60 seconds.
He said: "The engineer and captain had no explanation why she sank so quickly. My personal opinion is it shouldn't tip like this, it goes against any logic."
He also questioned the safety of the Bayesian's 75-metre mast and added: "I think it's not safe to build the masts."
Describing the strength of the storm and sea spouts that hit his yacht and the Bayesian, he said: "They were very close and we were hit very hard, very strong and they had the same. It was extreme, it was extremely strong."
Who are the people missing?
22:00
Tara Cobham
Five bodies have been found in the search for six people missing after the sinking of a luxury yacht off the coast of Sicily.
The island’s civil protection agency confirmed on Wednesday that four out of the five bodies have been recovered and a sixth person remains unaccounted for.
It comes after the body of a chef on the superyacht, Recaldo Thomas, was recovered on Monday.
Here is detailed what we know of those who were on board:
Identities of recovered bodies not yet confirmed by authorities
21:02
Tara Cobham
Identities of the recovered bodies have not been confirmed by authorities, despite local and international media reporting some had been identified.
Technology tycoon Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah were among the people unaccounted for after the yacht, named Bayesian, sank at around 5am on Monday.
Dozens of emergency services personnel lined port when bodies taken to shore
20:15
Tara Cobham
Dozens of personnel from the Italian Coastguard and local fire service lined the port when the bodies were being taken to shore.
Ambulances were seen taking them away, escorted by police cars.
Hundreds of locals gathered to watch, as church bells were heard ringing out.
Searches finish for day, with one person still missing, confirms civil protection agency
19:42
Tara Cobham
The head of Sicily's civil protection agency Salvatore Cocina has told the PA news agency that searches have finished for the day and will resume on Thursday.
He confirmed that five bodies have been found, but only four recovered.
One person remains missing, Mr Cocina said.
In pictures: Body bag brought ashore by divers after Bayesian tragedy
19:34
Tara Cobham
Seven key unanswered questions around the sinking of the Bayesian
18:52
Tara Cobham
With the Bayesian lying on her side 50 metres underneath the now gentle waters of the Mediterranean, mystery still surrounds how the 56-metre superyacht, sank in the typhoon off the port of Porticello.
Remotely controlled underwater vehicles and cave divers are looking to raise the yacht, which experts will examine in the coming days. For now, the focus is on finding the people missing since the yacht went down in the early hours of Monday 19 August.
It will take weeks for Ambrogio Cartosio, the chief prosecutor of Termini Imerese, and his team to establish whether the sinking of the Bayesian was down to human error, an unpredictable weather event or whether anyone is liable.
My colleague Barney Davis reports:
Five bodies now found on sunken luxury yacht off coast of Sicily
18:13
Tara Cobham
Five bodies have been now found inside the wreck of the luxury yacht that sank in a storm off the coast of Sicily.
Three body bags were seen being taken to the port of Porticello on Wednesday afternoon following the sinking of the yacht at around 5am on Monday.
The head of Sicily's civil protection agency Salvatore Cocina said that four bodies had been recovered and efforts to bring a fifth to shore were "ongoing".
He said there will be an investigation in due course, but the priority was to find those who are still missing.
As the three body bags were taken back to the port of Porticello, dozens of emergency services staff were waiting, and one was seen being put in the back of an ambulance.
Coastguard questions survivors including Bayesian captain
17:57
Tara Cobham
The coastguard has been questioning survivors, including the captain of the Bayesian, and passengers on the yacht that was moored next to it who witnessed the ship going down, judicial sources said.
No one is under investigation at the moment, sources added.
Besides the diving team, the coastguard has deployed a remotely operated vehicle to scan the seabed and take underwater pictures and videos that it said may provide “useful and timely elements” for prosecutors looking into the disaster.
Experts have been at a loss to explain how a large luxury vessel, presumed to have top-class fittings and safety features, could have sunk within minutes, as recounted by witnesses. The yacht anchored next to it was unharmed by the storm.
Three body bags seen being taken to Porticello port
17:41
Tara Cobham
Three body bags were seen being taken to the port of Porticello on Wednesday afternoon following the sinking of the yacht.
The three bodies brought ashore were taken to nearby hospitals for formal identification, while the fourth corpse was being taken to land as evening set in.
The identities of the victims were not immediately given by the authorities.
The head of Sicily's civil protection agency Salvatore Cocina confirmed two bodies had initially been found on the Bayesian, followed by two more later in the afternoon.
He said there will be an investigation in due course, but the priority was to find those who are still missing.
Watch live: Search resumes after four bodies found inside Mike Lynch’s sunken yacht
17:17
Tara Cobham
Watch a live view of a port in Palermo, Italy, on Wednesday (21 August) as a search operation resumes after the Bayesian superyacht sank off the coast of the Sicilian city:
Tributes paid to ‘incredibly talented’ chef who died on sunken superyacht in Sicily
16:58
Holly Evans
Tributes have been paid to a chef whose body was recovered after a luxury yacht sank off the coast of Sicily, as rescuers fear six people are still trapped inside the wreck.
Canadian-Antiguan national Recaldo Thomas, who was working on the Bayesian superyacht, was found by the Italian coastguard near the sunken boat.
A friend of Mr Thomas, who asked to remain anonymous, said the yachting community has been saddened by his death.
Read the full article here:
Ambulance leaves the harbour as search continues
16:46
Holly Evans
An ambulance ahs been pictured leaving the harbour after a body bag was brought ashore at Porticello by rescue workers.
Identities of bodies remain unknown
16:21
Holly Evans
The identities of the four bodies that have been found inside the Bayesian yacht have not yet been identified, with two brought in body bags to shore.
One of the bodies belonged to a heavily built man, a source close to rescue operations said, while the second was that of a woman, Italian news agency Adnkronos said.
Two more bodies found inside yacht
16:09
Holly Evans
Two further bodies have been found in a luxury yacht that sank off the coast of Sicily, a source close to the matter said on Wednesday.
The boat, owned by the wife of British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, was carrying 22 passengers and crew and was anchored off the port of Porticello, near Palermo, when it capsized during a fierce, pre-dawn storm on Monday.
Two corpses were brought ashore from the wreck earlier on Wednesday.
Yacht's captain questioned for more than two hours
15:55
Holly Evans
The yacht’s captain was reportedly questioned for more than two hours by investigators who are looking into the shipwreck.
James Cutfield, 51, who is from New Zealand, was questioned on Tuesday evening to help provide technical details and for prosecutors to have a clearer understanding of the boat’s final moments.
His brother Mark earlier told the New Zealand Herald he was a “very good sailor” and “very well respected” in the Mediterranean.
Body bag brought ashore as search efforts continue
15:37
Holly Evans
A body bag has been brought ashore after emergency services confirmed that two bodies had been discovered in the wreck of the superyacht Bayesian.
Who are the divers searching for?
15:28
Holly Evans
Specialist divers have been searching for six people who went missing when the Bayesian yacht sunk in the Mediterranean Sea.
They include British technology entrepreneur Mike Lynch, who owned the boat, and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah, as well as Jonathan Bloomer, the chairman of Morgan Stanley Bank International and his wife Judye Bloomer and Clifford Chance partner Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda Morvillo.
Body appears to have been pulled from the water
15:11
Holly Evans
A body appeared to be pulled from the water near the site of the sunken Bayesian yacht on Wednesday afternoon.
A green body bag was taken back to the port of Porticello where dozens of emergency services staff were waiting.
Latest pictures: Several boats travel to scene as bodies found
15:08
Holly Evans
Bodies reportedly found behind mattresses
14:57
Holly Evans
According to reports in Italian media, the two bodies were found inside the boat behind two mattresses.
They are the second and third victims to be found, after chef Recaldo Thomas was recovered from the water on Monday.
Several boats leave Porticello to go to sinking site
14:44
Holly Evans
Several boats have left the port of Porticello to go to the site of the sinking.
They left the port at the same time shortly before 3.30pm on Wednesday.
Source says one of the two bodies is that of a ‘heavily built man’
14:37
Holly Evans
Rescue teams have not confirmed the identities of the drowned people, who were recovered after a three-day search operation involving specialist divers.
A source has said that one of the bodies was that of a “heavily built man”.
Six passengers had been missing after the boat capsized, including British billionaire Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah, Morgan Stanley chairman Jonathan Bloomer; his wife, Judy Bloomer; Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo; and his wife, Neda Morvillo.
Survivors reportedly turn down counselling
14:30
Holly Evans
Survivors of the Bayesian reportedly have turned down psychological support.
Salvo Cocina, president of the Civil Protection Agency in Sicily, told MailOnline: “We wanted to make sure that everyone was offered every kind of help they might need, but no-one from the passengers or the crew accepted counselling.”
He added that they still hoped the six people are alive, saying:“The operation is not complete – we don’t differentiate between rescue and recovery in these circumstances, because the people are still in the boat.
“The divers have not yet reached the cabins, so we have not yet given up hope that there may be air pockets in their keeping them alive.”
Breaking: Two bodies found inside Bayesian yacht
14:28
Holly Evans
Divers scouring the wreck of the luxury yacht that sank off the coast of Sicily have found the bodies of two of the six passengers who were missing, a source close to the matter said.
The boat, owned by the wife of British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, was carrying 22 passengers and crew and was anchored off the port of Porticello, near Palermo, when it capsized during a fierce, pre-dawn storm on Monday.
Divers with head torches seen entering the water
14:23
Holly Evans
Divers from the local fire service were seen entering the water with torches attached to their headgear at the site of the shipwreck on Wednesday afternoon.
A police boat and divers were also seen entering the water.
The boats spent a short time at the scene before heading back to the nearby port.
A helicopter hovered overhead.
CCTV footage shows the moment missing tycoon Mike Lynch’s Bayesian yacht is engulfed by storm
14:10
Holly Evans
CCTV footage has shown the moment a storm off the coast of Sicily engulfed the Bayesian luxury yacht carrying 22 people.
The superyacht was moored around half-a-mile off the coast of Porticello when it sank at around 5am local time on Monday as the area was hit by a storm.
The tall mast of the craft can be seen in the black-and-white footage, as rain appears to be lashing down in the foreground.
Read the full article here:
Who was on board the Bayesian yacht and who is still missing?
13:50
Holly Evans
Italian authorities fear British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and five others he was holidaying with are trapped inside his yacht which sank in a tornado.
As the desperate search for the missing continues in Sicily for a second day, Vincenzo Zagarola of the Italian Coastguard said the working theory of officials is that they were inside. He said search and rescue efforts are yet to deliver any results.
The British-flagged vessel named Bayesian was carrying 12 passengers and 10 members of crew when it sank at around 5am local time on Monday as the area was hit by a storm.
Helicopter drafted in to help with search
13:27
Holly Evans
A helicopter had been drafted in to help the search effort, as divers from the local fire service were seen entering the water with torches attached to their headgear.
A police boat and divers were also seen entering the water on Wednesday afternoon.
Fire crews from the Vigili del Fuoco said they have been accessing the vessel through natural entrances, without making openings.
Industry experts ‘at a loss’ to explain sudden sinking
12:58
Holly Evans
Experts have been at a loss to explain how a large luxury vessel, presumed to have top-class fittings and safety features, could have sunk within minutes, as recounted by witnesses. Another yacht anchored next to it was unharmed by the tempest.
The Bayesian, which was owned by Lynch’s wife, was built by Italian shipbuilder Perini in 2008 and last refitted in 2020. It had the world’s tallest aluminium mast, measuring 72 metres, according to its makers.
Its captain James Cutfield, a 51-year-old New Zealander who survived the shipwreck, was a “very good sailor” and “very well respected” in the Mediterranean, his brother Mark told The New Zealand Herald.
Efforts to enter yacht have been hampered by ‘very confined’ spaces
12:40
Holly Evans
Efforts to locate the missing people have been hampered by “very confined” spaces inside the wreck, fire department spokesman Luca Cari has said.
The Italian coast guard said it was using a remotely operated vehicle to inspect the seabed and take underwater pictures.
An upgraded underwater drone has also been deployed at the site of the wreckage.
Floorplan of sunken yacht shows guest cabins
12:30
Holly Evans
A floorplan of the sunken Bayesian yacht shows that a number of guest cabins were situated in the middle of the boar, between the technical area and crew area.
Specialist divers are now trying to access the area, to explore whether the six missing tourists became trapped inside.
How sailors can use air pockets to survive in capsized boats for days
12:13
Holly Evans
Firefighters release footage of search
11:54
Holly Evans
Italy’s fire and rescue service has released footage of its late night search.
Vigili del Fuoco wrote that Italian divers “concluded late yesterday evening and at the first light of day the operations at sea resumed.”
They added: “The search for the six missing people continues.”
❌ #Porticello #Palermo, si sono concluse nella tarda sera di ieri e alle prime luci del giorno sono riprese le operazioni in mare: proseguono le ricerche dei 6 dispersi da parte dei #sommozzatori speleo dei #vigilidelfuoco [#21agosto 9:30] pic.twitter.com/mJhEJQQF2d
— Vigili del Fuoco (@vigilidelfuoco) August 21, 2024
In pictures: Rescue teams continue search for third day
11:41
Holly Evans
Italian Coastguard says six missing tourists are feared dead
11:16
Holly Evans
Vincenzo Zagarola, of the Italian Coastguard, said the six missing tourists are feared dead.
Asked about the likelihood of them being alive, he said: “Never say never, but reasonably the answer should be not.”
He said: “We think they are still inside the boat, that is our very hard idea.
“Of course, we do not exclude that they are not inside the boat, but we know the boat sank quickly.
“We suppose that the six people missing may not have had time to get out of the boat.”
Sailors warned as experts say the Mediterranean is only going to become more deadly
10:59
Holly Evans
The tragic shipwreck of a luxury yacht moored off the coast of Sicily is the latest sign that the Mediterranean is becoming a more dangerous sea to sail in, those who know the waters best have said
One man died and six people are still missing, including British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, after the Bayesian, a 56-metre-long (184-ft) sailboat, was hit by a ferocious storm on Monday, sinking in a matter of minutes.
The coast guard said bad weather had been forecast, but added that it was more virulent than expected. Some locals spoke of a waterspout, or sea whirlwind, of exceptional force. “It was a strange thing,” fisherman Andrea Carini told Reuters. The Bayesian was at anchor, its sails down, when the tempest hit, with another yacht moored nearby.
British inspectors arrive in Sicily to examine the site
10:38
Holly Evans
A team of four British inspectors from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) have arrived in Porticello where they are expected to look at the site of the sinking.
They are understood to have arrived on Tuesday and are expected to carry out a “preliminary assessment” of the site on Wednesday.
The MAIB is looking into what happened because the sailing yacht Bayesian was flying a British flag, it is understood.
The Italian Coastguard said the MAIB are not involved in the search for the missing people and that it did not request assistance.
Spokesman Vincenzo Zagarola said: “Even if they come (probably) the searches are carried out by the Italian authorities. Initiative (was) not requested by us.”
Divers carry out inspections of Bayesian’s hull
10:28
Holly Evans
Inspections of the sunken yacht’s hull have taken place on Wednesday morning.
Search crews arrived at 6.30am local time (5.30am BST), with a boat carrying divers seen leaving Porticello at around 10.30am (9.30am BST).
Fire crews say they are accessing the yacht through natural entrances, without making openings.
Remotely controlled underwater vehicles are being used, with naval units and cave divers also taking part in the search, the Italian Coastguard has said.
Bayesian yach was victim of a ‘black swan events’ says maritime rescue chief
10:15
Holly Evans
The luxury Bayesian yach was the victim of “black swan event”, an unpredictable situation that caused the boat to capsize and sink.
Matthew Schanck says: “Looking at the extreme weather, if it was a waterspout, which it appears to be, it’s what I would class as like a black swan event.”
A black swan event is used to refer to a rare incident that is unexpected and unknowable, but often rationalised as being inevitable.
“Even outside of the maritime industry, all industries struggle with the black swan events,” Mr Schanck said.
Hannah Lynch’s school says they are ‘incredibly shocked’ by the incident
09:50
Holly Evans
The prestigious Latymer Upper School in Hammersmith, where Hannah Lynch had been a pupil, has said they are all “incredibly shocked” after a yacht sank with her onboard.
A spokesperson said: “We are all incredibly shocked by the news that Hannah and her father are among those missing in this tragic incident and our thoughts are with their family and everyone involved as we await further updates.”
According to The Times, Hannah had just completed her A-Levels and gained a place to study English at Oxford, after winning a number of academic awards during her time at the school.
How billionaire’s superyacht trip to celebrate end of 13 year legal battle ended in tragedy
09:28
Holly Evans
It was supposed to be a summer celebration.
British tech tycoon Mike Lynch had gathered his tried and trusted lawyers who had been with him every step of the way helping him emerge unscathed from a gruelling 13-year legal battle. Twelve guests had flown into the picturesque Italian port of Porticello, near Palermo from the UK, the US, Canada, New Zealand and Ireland, to mark the end of the fraud trial that had consumed much of their lives.
But now one person is dead and six more, including Mr Lynch, are missing with hopes fading for a successful rescue after the vessel capsized in during bad weather in the early hours of Monday morning.
Read the full article here:
Doctor says survivors spoke of ‘darkness’ as yacht sank
09:07
Holly Evans
A doctor who treated the 15 survivors of the Bayesian superyacht in the immediate aftermath of its sinking said that the injured spoke of “darkness” as the boat capsized.
Dr Fabio Genco described “apocalyptic scenes” as rescued guests and crew searched for their loved ones, while his main concern was treating the baby incase she had ingested saltwater.
“The word that the mother and all the injured kept repeating was the ‘darkness’ during the shipwreck,” he said.
“They spoke of about five minutes, from three to five minutes, from the moment the boat was lifted, raised by the waves of the sea until it sank.”
Brother of missing banker hopes for ‘air pockets’ to keep those onboard alive
08:51
Holly Evans
The brother of the Morgan Stanley chairman missing after a superyacht sank off Sicily has said he hopes air pockets could be keeping those alive.
Speaking to the BBC, Jeremy Bloomer, the twin brother of Jonathan, said his fingers were crossed.
He said: “It’s a slow process and it will take time. So there might be air pockets, but we don’t know. It’s still wait and see, so fingers crossed.”
Everything we know so far about the search for Mike Lynch and the Bayesian superyacht sinking in Sicily
08:30
Barney Davis
The search for British billionaire Mike Lynch and his daughter has entered a crucial stage after the businessman’s yacht sank following a tornado off the coast of the Sicilian capital Palermo.
The 50-metre luxury boat, named Bayesian, had 22 people on board when it sank in the early hours of Monday, with four Britons among the six missing, according to local media.
The Independent explains everything we know so far:
Mike Lynch’s wife ‘in distressed state' as she awaits updates on missing billionaire and husband
08:20
Barney Davis
The wife of British billionaire Mike Lynch has sought refuge with other survivors in a hotel, which is just a six-minute drive from Porticello harbour, near to where the boat sank.
A hotel guest told The Mirror that the mother is in a very distressed state as she waits for updates on whether her husband and daughter Hannah, 18, are alive.
Angela Bacares made it to safety along with 15 other passengers after a violent storm truck just after 4am on Monday, consuming her sailing yacht Bayesian amidst a tower of tornado-waterspouts.
The 57-year-old described how she was woken early that morning after the boat “tilted” sharply, and after initially thinking nothing was wrong found herself showered in broken glass, according to Italy’s La Republica.
She then fled from her cabin – slicing her feet on the broken glass scattered across the deck – and safely made it off the boat as it vanished beneath the waves within minutes.
Friend describes Mike Lynch as ‘easy person to talk to’ with ‘nice sense of humour'
08:05
Jabed Ahmed
A friend of Mike Lynch has described him as a “very easy person to talk to”, with a “nice sense of humour”.
Richard Smith, who lives near Mr Lynch in the Suffolk village of Pettistree, told the BBC: “He is so approachable and a very easy person to talk to. A nice sense of humour. You might think with all that money that he would be a difficult person to talk to, but in fact he was a very easy person to talk to.”
Live stream of rescue efforts to find the remaining six people on the Baysian superyacht
07:49
Barney Davis
The race to rescue any survivors from inside the sunken Bayesian superyacht is set to enter a crucial stage, with divers succeeding in smashing through a glass window to enter the hull.
Italian divers say salvage operation ‘long and complex'
07:45
Barney Davis
Italian authorities have released drone footage of their “long and complex” operation trying to enter the sunken wreck of the Bayesian superyacht.
As friends hoped the remaining six missing guests found air pockets on the sunken vessel and had managed to survive for more than 50 hours Vincenzo Zagarola of the Italian Coastguard said they were feared dead.
Asked about the likelihood of them being alive, he said: “Never say never, but reasonably the answer should be not.”
“We think they are still inside the boat, that is our very hard idea.
“Of course, we do not exclude that they are not inside the boat, but we know the boat sank quickly.
“We suppose that the six people missing may not have had time to get out of the boat.”
❌ #Porticello #Palermo, proseguono le ricerche dei 6 dispersi: i #sommozzatori speleo dei #vigilidelfuoco stanno ispezionando l’interno del relitto. Lunghe e complesse le operazioni [#20agosto 20:00] pic.twitter.com/UTebMHV4Sv
— Vigili del Fuoco (@vigilidelfuoco) August 20, 2024
Comment: Why we don’t let compassion get in the way of a good conspiracy theory
07:45
Jabed Ahmed
