Hannah Lynch’s sister Esme has described her sibling as “endlessly caring, passionately mad, unintentionally hilarious” in an emotional tribute paid this afternoon.
Family and friends of Hannah and Mike Lynch, who died after his luxury superyacht sank off the coast of Sicily, said earlier that they are “devastated”, adding that the 18-year-old being “taken on the precipice of her life” is “cruel beyond belief”.
Tributes for the pair have flooded in after the body of the last missing person, believed to be Hannah, was brought ashore on Friday.
The Bayesian sunk in a storm near the Sicilian capital of Palermo on Monday during a trip to celebrate the acquittal of Mr Lynch in a fraud case in the US.
The six people who went missing were British technology entrepreneur, his daughter Hannah, Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer, his wife Judy Bloomer, Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo, and his wife Neda Morvillo.
Of the 22 passengers and crew on board, 15 people – including Mr Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares – were rescued after escaping in a lifeboat. The boat’s chef Recaldo Thomas was confirmed dead on Monday, while the bodies of the six missing were recovered from the wreck later in the week.
Key Points
- ‘She is my little angel, my star’: Esme Lynch pays moving tribute to sister Hannah
- Divers discover body of final missing person
- Prosecutors will hold press conference tomorrow
- Family releases first picture of Mike Lynch and daughter Hannah
- Lynch family speak of devastation
- Hannah ‘taken on the precipice of her life is cruel beyond belief’
Mapped: Where did the Bayesian sink?
08:16
Jabed Ahmed
A complex salvage operation underway after ‘indescribable, unreasonable errors’
08:04
Jabed Ahmed
Giovanni Costantino, CEO of The Italian Sea Group , which owns Perini, has said the shipwreck was the result of a string of "indescribable, unreasonable errors" made by the crew, and ruled out any design or construction failings.
Pulling the Bayesian out of the sea may help investigators determine what happened, but the operation is likely to be complex and costly.
Nick Sloane, a South African engineer who led the operation to salvage the Costa Concordia cruise liner that sank in 2012, said in Italian media interviews on Friday that the operation would cost up to 15 million euros (£12.7 million).
He told La Repubblica that salvaging the yacht would take six to eight weeks, including preparation work, and would have to be completed by mid-October, without specifying the reasons for the timing.
Bringing the yacht to the surface will have to be done “very, very slowly”, and might take a couple of days, he said.
News conference to be held on yacht sinking amid reports of manslaughter probe
07:30
Jabed Ahmed
Italian officials are scheduled to hold a press conference on Saturday morning on the sinking of Bayesian off the coast of Sicily.
Termini Imerese Public Prosecutor’s Office investigators said it will hold a news conference to unveil the first findings of its criminal investigation, which was opened immediately after the tragedy despite no formal suspects having been publicly identified.
The main question investigators are focusing on is how a sailing vessel deemed “unsinkable” by its manufacturer, Italian shipyard Perini Navi, sank while a nearby sailboat remained largely unscathed.
Captain and other survivors questioned after Bayesian tragedy
07:00
Tara Cobham
The captain of the Bayesian superyacht, James Cutfield, and the other survivors have been questioned by the coastguard on behalf of prosecutors.
None of them have commented publicly on how the ship went down.
So far, nobody has been placed under formal investigation.
Watch: Captain details Bayesian sinking ‘within two minutes’ after rescuing survivors
06:00
Tara Cobham
Mike Lynch’s yacht was ‘unsinkable’, says boss of company who built boat
05:00
Tara Cobham
Boats like Mike Lynch’s superyacht are “unsinkable”, according to the chief executive of the company that builds and sells the vessels.
Giovanni Costantino, the chief executive of the Italian Sea Group, said there are no flaws with the design and construction of the Bayesian and it is “one of the safest boats in the world”.
The Bayesian, a 184-ft superyacht carrying 22 passengers and crew, was anchored off the port of Porticello, near Palermo, when it disappeared beneath the waves in a matter of minutes after a freak tornado struck.
My colleague Joe Middleton reports:
Lynch family ‘devastated and in shock'
04:00
Tara Cobham
The Lynch family said they are “devastated” and “in shock” in their first public comments since the Bayesian superyacht sank.
After Hannah Lynch’s body was discovered on Friday following five days of searching the wreckage, a spokesperson for the Lynch family said: “The Lynch family is devastated, in shock and is being comforted and supported by family and friends.
"Their thoughts are with everyone affected by the tragedy. They would like to sincerely thank the Italian coastguard, emergency services and all those who helped in the rescue.”
In pictures: Fifth and final day of search as last body recovered
03:00
Tara Cobham
‘Brilliant, caring and beautiful’: Tributes to Hannah Lynch after body recovered
02:00
Tara Cobham
Friends have paid tribute to the “brilliant, caring and beautiful” daughter of tech tycoon Mike Lynch after her body was recovered from the Italian yacht disaster.
Hannah Lynch was one of 22 people onboard her father’s luxury boat the Bayesian when it capsized during stormy weather on Monday. Italian rescue teams retrieved her body, the last of six to be found, on Friday after five days of searching.
Grieving classmates said the 18 year-old, who was set to attend Oxford in a matter of weeks before tragedy struck, was a lover of literature and life.
My colleague Holly Evans reports:
Watch: Mike Lynch’s friend mourns ‘unbelievably tragic’ death after fraud trial acquittal
01:00
Tara Cobham
Sinking of Bayesian puzzles naval marine experts
Saturday 24 August 2024 00:00
Tara Cobham
The sinking of the superyacht has puzzled naval marine experts.
They say a boat like the Bayesian, built by Italian high-end yacht manufacturer Perini, should have withstood the storm and in any case should not have sunk as quickly as it did.
Hannah Lynch’s sister pays tribute to ‘my little angel’ after yacht sinking
Friday 23 August 2024 23:00
Tara Cobham
The older sister of Mike Lynch’s 18-year-old daughter Hannah has paid tribute to her “little angel” after it was confirmed she had died in a luxury yacht sinking alongside her father.
Mr Lynch and Hannah were among seven people who died after the Bayesian sank off the coast of Sicily early on Monday morning.
The tech mogul, 59, was the creator of software giant Autonomy and had been cleared in June of carrying out a massive fraud related to its 11 billion dollar (£8.64 billion) sale to US company Hewlett Packard.
Piers Mucklejohn reports:
More than 40 specialists carried out 123 dives to Bayesian wreck
Friday 23 August 2024 22:00
Tara Cobham
The fire brigade said their team of more than 40 specialists had carried out 123 dives to the wreck of the Bayesian.
The superyacht is lying apparently intact on its side at a depth of 50 metres (164 feet).
Wreck salvage operations estimated to cost up to €15m
Friday 23 August 2024 21:00
Tara Cobham
The operation to salvage the wreck of the Bayesian is estimated to cost up to €15 million, according to local reports.
Pulling the superyacht out of the sea may help investigators determine what happened, but the operation is likely to be complex and costly.
Nick Sloane, a South African engineer who led the operation to salvage the Costa Concordia cruise liner that sank in 2012, told daily La Repubblica on Friday that salvaging the yacht would take six to eight weeks, including preparation work, and would have to be completed by mid-October, without specifying the reasons for the timing.
Bringing the yacht to the surface will have to be done "very, very slowly", and might take a couple of days, he said.
Who was on the Bayesian?
Friday 23 August 2024 20:30
Tara Cobham
British technology tycoon Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah were among the people initially unaccounted for after his superyacht Bayesian sank in a storm off the coast of Sicily in the early hours of Monday.
On Thursday morning, Italian authorities confirmed the identities of five bodies found inside the luxury vessel, after a three-day operation that has seen divers carefully navigating their way into the cabin bedrooms.
After a decade-long legal battle which had seen him extradited to the US to face an $11bn fraud case, Mr Lynch had celebrated by inviting his close friends, colleagues and those who helped him on his legal team aboard his boat as a gesture of gratitude.
Rachel Hagan reports:
‘Bayesian crew had 16 minutes to avoid deadly sinking,’ boss of company that built yacht claims
Friday 23 August 2024 19:59
Tara Cobham
The Bayesian superyacht crew had 16 minutes to avoid the deadly sinking, the boss of the company that built the boat has claimed.
Giovanni Costantino, chief executive of The Italian Sea Group, which owns the boat’s builder Perini Navi, told the Financial Times: “The torture lasted 16 minutes. It went down, not in one minute as some scientists have said. It went down in 16 minutes. You can see it from the charts, from the [Automatic Identification System] tracking chart.”
He continued: “The captain should have prepared the boat and put it in a state of alert and of safety, just like the boat [Sir Robert Baden Powell] anchored 350 metres away, which was built in 1957 and handled the [weather] event brilliantly.”
The FT reported it had verified that Mr Constantino’s timings are consistent with the AIS data, but his speculation about what happened cannot be confirmed at this stage.
‘Warm, funny, brilliant, loyal and brave, with heart as big as his brain,’ friend says of Mike
Friday 23 August 2024 19:15
Tara Cobham
A family friend has paid tribute to Mike Lynch as “warm, funny, brilliant, loyal and exceptionally brave, with a heart as big as his brain”.
Albert Read said on Friday: “I've never met anyone like Mike. A searing intellect, a steel that would transform the world around him, an instinct for family and friends – organising children's treasure hunts, big gatherings of neighbours in Suffolk – and, with Angela, a determination to light up the worlds of art and science for his two beloved daughters.
“Warm, funny, brilliant, loyal and exceptionally brave, with a heart as big as his brain.”
Full story: Daughter of Mike Lynch recovered from yacht as family ‘devastated’
Friday 23 August 2024 18:45
Tara Cobham
Tributes have been paid to the 18-year-old daughter of British tech tycoon Mike Lynch after her body was recovered from the sunken yacht Bayesian.
Hannah Lynch was brought ashore on Friday following a five-day search operation off the coast of Sicily, which had already retrieved the bodies of five others, including her father.
Unconfirmed reports in the Italian media have now said that prosecutors are set to announce a manslaughter investigation into the incident, which killed seven people in total and saw 15 others rescued from a lifeboat.
My colleague Holly Evans reports:
‘She is my little angel, my star’: Esme Lynch pays moving tribute to sister Hannah
Friday 23 August 2024 18:13
Tara Cobham
Esme Lynch has paid a moving tribute to her younger sister Hannah, describing her as “my little angel, my star”.
On Friday afternoon, Esme said: “Hannah often burst into my bedroom and lay down with me. Sometimes beaming with a smile, sometimes cheeky, sometimes for advice.
“No matter what, she brought boundless love to me. She was endlessly caring, passionately mad, unintentionally hilarious and the most amazing, supportive and joyful sister and best friend to me.
“And on top of all this, she had even more love to give endlessly to all her friends and passion to give to her incredible studies and goals.
“She is my little angel, my star.”
Prosecutors look into possible charges of negligent shipwreck and multiple homicide
Friday 23 August 2024 17:41
Tara Cobham
As the rescue operation came to an end, attention switched to the official investigation into the disaster.
The public prosecutor's office of Termini Imerese, headed by Ambrogio Cartosio, is looking into possible charges of negligent shipwreck and multiple homicide, judicial sources told Reuters.
The captain James Cutfield and the other survivors have been questioned by the coast guard on behalf of prosecutors. None of them have commented publicly on how the ship went down.
So far, nobody has been placed under formal investigation.
Cartosio is due to hold a news conference on Saturday.
Friend pays tribute to Mike Lynch as ‘most brilliant mind and caring person I’ve known’
Friday 23 August 2024 17:15
Tara Cobham
A close friend of Mike Lynch has paid tribute to him as “the most brilliant mind and caring person I have ever known”.
Andrew Kanter, who was also a colleague of the British tech tycoon, said: “Mike was the most brilliant mind and caring person I have ever known.
“Over nearly a quarter century, I had the privilege of working beside someone unrivalled in their understanding of technology and business. There is simply no other UK technology entrepreneur of our generation who has had such an impact on so many people.
“His passion for life, knowledge and all those around him was instantly inspiring to everyone he met, and he will be sorely missed.”
‘We owe Mike so much’, says CEO of company Mike Lynch co-founded
Friday 23 August 2024 16:43
Rachel Hagan
The chief executive of a company Mike Lynch co-founded has said they “owe him so much.”
Poppy Gustafsson, the chief executive of cybersecurity company Darktrace, said: “Without Mike, there would be no Darktrace. We owe him so much.”
She continued: “Mike drove an unwavering focus in everything that he did. He was binary: there was no half Mike. His intelligence was, to me, what a galaxy is to a planet. That intelligence was intimidating.
“I am grateful to Mike for his support to me and to Darktrace, which continued long after his involvement. He leaves behind an enormous legacy with us, but also with the broader UK technology ecosystem.”
Friends pay tribute to ‘sincere, dedicated and genuinely kind’ friend
Friday 23 August 2024 16:37
Rachel Hagan
Two friends have paid tribute to their “sincere, dedicated and genuinely kind” friend.
Hannah Lynch’s life was cut short at just 18 when the Bayesian yacht sank while she was holidaying with her father Mike Lynch.
Gracie Lea, who went to Latymer school with her, said: “When I think of Hannah, I think of poetry, sunshine, and her beautiful eyes. She was easy to love: sincere, dedicated, fiercely intelligent and genuinely kind. I’ll always remember her smiling.”
Another friend, Katya Lewis, said: “The love Hannah had for everything she held dear was passionate and pure. She had a warm and beautiful soul. Being with Hannah made me feel whole and happy. She is the most special friend anyone could ask for and I will always love Hannah.”
Managers of Bayesian confirm recovery of bodies with ‘deep regret'
Friday 23 August 2024 16:07
Rachel Hagan
The company which manages the Bayesian has sent its “deepest sympathies” to the loved ones of those who died during its sinking and confirmed with “deep regret” the recovery of bodies.
It added this would be the last public statement from the company on these events as it allows investigators “to understand with better clarity what happened that tragic night”.
A full statement says: “Camper & Nicholsons, managers of the sailing yacht Bayesian, deeply regret to confirm that the remains of all six individuals missing after the sinking of the vessel have now been recovered.
“SY Bayesian encountered severe weather conditions and tragically sank off Porticello, Italy, at approximately 04:30 local time on Monday, 19 August 2024, with 22 individuals on board.
“15 individuals were safely rescued shortly thereafter thanks to the tireless efforts of the Italian Guardia Costiera, Vigili del Fuoco, Aeronautica Militare and Carabinieri as well as nearby mariners and other public agencies. We thank all those who worked tirelessly on the search and recovery operations over the past week. T
“Those on board were valued colleagues, friends, and clients. Our deepest sympathies are with their loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.
“Our focus remains on fully cooperating with the authorities and offering unwavering support to the families affected by this tragic loss. Since 2014, SY Bayesian has been privately owned and has not been available for charter during this period.
“As we allow investigators to understand with better clarity what happened that tragic night, this will be the last public statement on these events issued by Camper & Nicholsons.”
Guard of honour by emergency staff as final body pulled ashore
Friday 23 August 2024 15:56
Rachel Hagan
All 22 people who were on Mike Lynch’s superyacht have now been accounted for with search and rescue operations officially concluded, the coast guard has said.
When the final search vessel made its way back to the marina “it was clear they’d found the final body” according to Sky News correspondent Ashna Hurynag.
She wrote that a “guard of honour of sorts began to assemble on the harbourside” with a poignant photo showing coastguard members, search and rescue squad and police officers standing shoulder to shoulder as the vessel pulled in.
Hannah ‘taken on the precipice of her life is cruel beyond belief’
Friday 23 August 2024 15:23
Rachel Hagan
A friend and colleague, Sushovan Hussain, of the Lynch family, said that he and his wife were “utterly devastated by the deaths of so many of our dear friends”.
Mr Hussain said he had known Mike since school and Hannah since her birth. He said for her to be taken “on the precipice of her life is cruel beyond belief.”
He said he also was friends with Mike Lynch’s co-defendant Stephen (calling him Steve) Chamberlain, who died after being hit by a car two days before the yacht tragedy.
He was also friends with bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer, his wife Judy Bloomer, lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda Morvillo who also died when the boat sank.
His full statement read: “My wife and I are utterly devastated by the deaths of so many of our dear friends. No words can express our sorrow. I have known Mike for over 40 years, since our school days, and for most of that time our lives have been inextricably linked.
“I was thrilled when he was acquitted and now his departure leaves an unfillable hole in my life. We have known Hannah since her birth, and for her to be taken on the precipice of her life is cruel beyond belief. Our hearts bleed for Angela and her remaining daughter. “Steve was by my side for many years, and I had the honour of calling him, Jonathan, Judy and Chris my good friends. It is truly impossible to fathom how they can all be gone over such a short period. It is tragic beyond words.”
Hannah pictured with dog that was under house arrest with Faucet
Friday 23 August 2024 14:50
Rachel Hagan
The Lynch family has shared a photo of 18-year-old Hannah with the “famous” family dog.
The family has six dogs all named after engineering parts: two dachshunds and four sheepdogs. But it was Faucet they dubbed “famous” after being under house arrest with Mike Lynch in America.
The man once dubbed Britain’s Bill Gates was extradited from Britain last May and spent 13 months under house arrest, with armed guards, pending trial on charges he would eventually be acquitted of in June this year.
In an interview with the Sunday Times, Mr Lynch said of Faucet: “We spend all our time together. He still sleeps on the pillow next to me.”
Lynch family speak of devastation
Friday 23 August 2024 13:42
Jane Dalton
Mike Lynch’s family have spoken of how they are in shock but have thanked everyone involved in the rescue.
A spokesperson for the Lynch family said: “The Lynch family is devastated, in shock and is being comforted and supported by family and friends.
“Their thoughts are with everyone affected by the tragedy.
“They would like to sincerely thank the Italian coastguard, emergency services and all those who helped in the rescue. Their one request now is that their privacy be respected at this time of unspeakable grief.”
‘One of the best English students in the country’, says Hannah’s former teacher
Friday 23 August 2024 13:03
Rachel Hagan
Hannah’s former English teacher has said she was “one of the best English students in the country” having scored 100% in her English Literature GCSE.
Jon Mitropoulos-Monk, head of English at Latymer Upper School said by age 16, Hannah had read “[James] Joyce, [William] Faulkner and [Vladimir] Nabokov.” He taught her for four years and said he will remember her for what she taught him: “Kindness, compassion and commitment.”
His full statement read: “I’ve never taught someone who combined sky-high intellectual ability with warmth and enthusiasm in the way Hannah did. She lit up the classroom with her energy, passion for learning and sheer intelligence (though never with a hint of arrogance).
“One of the best English students in the country, she scored 100% in her English Literature GCSE. By age 16, she’d read Joyce, Faulkner and Nabokov. Beyond that, she devoured the writings of Angela Carter, Joseph Conrad and John Donne. She loved literature, learning and life.
“She was so excited to start studying English at Oxford, a goal she had worked so hard towards. When she got her place, she sought out every single member of the Latymer Upper English Department to thank them individually and give them a hug!
“She achieved everything she did with extraordinary levels of grace and fortitude that few others can say they possess. I taught Hannah for four years. I will remember her for what she taught me: kindness, compassion and commitment.”
Family releases first picture of Mike Lynch and daughter Hannah
Friday 23 August 2024 12:57
Rachel Hagan
The first picture of Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah has been released by their family.
The photo shows the pair smiling in the sunshine.
Hannah had been academically gifted and was due to start studying at Oxford University in September.
Tribute paid to ‘ferociously intelligent’ and ‘loving’ Hannah Lynch
Friday 23 August 2024 12:52
Rachel Hagan
We have just received tributes from friends of Hannah Lynch, following the news that the final missing body, believed to be that of Hannah’s, has been recovered.
The 18-year-old has been described as a “ferociously intelligent” and “loving” young woman who was so excited to begin studying at Oxford University.
Patrick Jacob, a family friend, said: “Hannah was charming and ferociously intelligent with an insatiable thirst for life and knowledge. She was also warm, loving and deeply considerate; remarkably for her age. I am 50 years older than her and in my life I have never met anybody like Hannah. We have lost one of our brightest stars whose future held so much promise. Her loss is unbearable.”
Who are the victims of the Bayesian sinking?
Friday 23 August 2024 12:33
Rachel Hagan
Italian authorities believe they have found the bodies of all six people who were missing after a luxury yacht sank during a storm off the coast of Sicily.
These are the details of each of the victims on board:
Mike Lynch
British technology tycoon Mike Lynch had been in the headlines long before the boat incident following being the centre of a high-profile fraud case.
The 59-year-old is known for founding Invoke Capital and Autonomy, and his disappearance comes just weeks after he was cleared of all charges by a US jury related to the sale of his software company Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard (HP) in 2011.
HP claimed, just a year after the sale, that Mr Lynch had used accounting tricks to artificially inflate its value before the sale. He spent 13 months under house arrest before being extradited to the US last May for a trial that acquitted him in June this year on all 15 counts.
Chris Morvillo
Chris Morvillo is a lawyer who represented Mr Lynch in his US trial. He is a partner at the Clifford Chance law firm who confirmed on Tuesday he was among the six missing.
In his most recent LinkedIn post, he thanked the legal team that helped win Mr Lynch’s trial. At the end of the post, he thanked his family for their support: “And, finally, a huge thank you to my patient and incredible wife, Neda Morvillo, and my two strong, brilliant, and beautiful daughters, Sabrina Morvillo and Sophia Morvillo.
“None of this would have been possible without your love and support. I am so glad to be home. And they all lived happily ever after….”
Body bag seen pulled ashore
Friday 23 August 2024 12:23
Rachel Hagan
A green body bag was seen being brought to the port of Porticello from the site of the sinking, the PA news agency has reported.
The bodies of all six missing passengers have now been brought to shore in the small fishing village of Porticello, around 11 miles from the Sicilian capital of Palermo.
Who is Hannah Lynch? British tech tycoon’s teenage daughter
Friday 23 August 2024 11:40
Holly Evans
Hannah Lynch, 18, had been onboard her tech tycoon father’s luxury boat alongside 20 others when the Bayesian capsized during stormy weather.
Her mother, Angela Bacares, was among the 15 survivors who were rescued from a lifeboat after the boat dramatically sank in minutes at around 5am on Monday morning.
Hannah had been due to study English at the University of Oxford having recently finished her A-levels, The Times reported. A gifted pupil, she won a prize for English while she was in Year 10 at Latymer Upper School.
The prestigious Latymer Upper School in Hammersmith, where she had been a pupil, has said they are all “incredibly shocked” after a yacht sank with her onboard.
Friends of the teenager described her as a “supernova” - a gentle, kind, clever young woman who was a staunch feminist, according to The Times.
Search for Hannah not “easy or quick”
Friday 23 August 2024 11:34
Rachel Hagan
Vincenzo Zagarola, of the Italian Coastguard, said the search for Hannah has not been “easy or quick“, comparing the sunken yacht to an “18-storey building full of water”.
He told media: Mr Zagarola said: “From the first moment, it has not been easy or quick to inspect the boat. Think of an 18-storey building full of water.”
Divers discover body of final missing person
Friday 23 August 2024 11:22
Rachel Hagan
Divers have discovered the final missing body, believed to be that of Hannah Lynch, from the superyacht that sank off Sicily, Reuters reports.
Hiscox appoints new interim chair after the death of Jonathan Bloomer
Friday 23 August 2024 10:22
Rachel Hagan
Hiscox has appointed a new interim chair, following the death of Jonathan Bloomer in the yacht incident.
Colin Keogh, a senior independent director at the insurance group, will assume the role, the company said on Friday.
In a statement on Thursday, Hiscox chief executive Aki Hussain said: “We are deeply shocked and saddened by Jonathan and Judy’s tragic deaths. Our deepest sympathies go out to their family and friends at this devastating time. It was a privilege to have known Jonathan and to have benefited from his generosity and wisdom over the last year in his role as chair of Hiscox.
“His deep experience across our industry and in the broader business arena, combined with his personal values, made him both an excellent chair and a person I was proud to know and work with. His advice and support were immensely valuable to me, and he will be dearly missed.”
Watch live: Search for Hannah Lynch continues
Friday 23 August 2024 09:40
Holly Patrick
Watch live as the search continues to find Hannah Lynch after the body of her father, British tech magnate Mike Lynch, was retrieved on Thursday (22 August) following the sinking of the Bayesian superyacht off the coast of Sicily on Monday.
Divers and underwater vehicles are scouring the scene as the billionaire’s youngest daughter remains unaccounted for after the 56-metre boat sank in a severe storm.
Coastguard hopeful for progress in fifth day of search
Friday 23 August 2024 09:24
Rachel Hagan
The Italian coastguard is hopeful there will be progress today in the search for Hannah Lynch.
Spokesman Vincenzo Zagarola said “we trust” when asked if any developments were expected.
Yacht group CEO questions if doors and hatches remained open
Friday 23 August 2024 08:48
Holly Evans
The luxury yacht’s captain, James Cutfield, was reportedly questioned by authorities for two hours as they began speaking to all crew members.
Giovanni Costantino, chief executive of the firm that built the yacht, told The Sun the ship was “virtually unsinkable”.
He instead wondered if doors and hatches had remained open.
“The disturbance was completely readable on all the weather maps,” he said. “Fishermen did not go out precisely because of the adverse weather conditions. It was therefore expected that the ship would take precautions.”
Italian Coastguard ‘trust’ that progress will be made in search for teenager
Friday 23 August 2024 08:13
Holly Evans
The Italian Coastguard “trust” that on Friday there will be significant progress in the search for the missing woman from the wreck of a yacht that sank off Sicily, a spokesman said.
Asked if any developments are expected, Vincenzo Zagarola replied: “We trust.”
In pictures: Rescue workers bringing fifth body bag ashore
Friday 23 August 2024 07:00
Tara Cobham
‘I knew Mike Lynch and his next idea was to get us to believe the unbelievable'
Friday 23 August 2024 06:00
Tara Cobham
Just under 10 weeks ago, 59-year-old Mike Lynch was on trial in San Francisco on 17 charges of fraud. He was almost guaranteed to receive a 25-year sentence.
He was terrified that he would die in a US prison, not because he was guilty – he had spent £30m on legal fees arguing his innocence – but because it’s almost unheard of in the US to win a case against the US Justice Department. His chances of winning were put at 0.5 per cent. However, after 13 years of putting together detailed evidence to support his plea, he was acquitted and it felt like a miracle.
Once back in the UK, Lynch set about celebrating what he called his second life. Through tears, he told one interviewer how even the traffic in London seemed magical. “I’m just thinking this is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen,” he said.
This month, the tech tycoon took his family, friends and lawyers for further celebrations on a Mediterranean cruise aboard his luxury sailboat. It sank in a freak violent squall in the small hours of Monday. His body was discovered on Wednesday, alongside five others recovered from the sunken Bayesian superyacht with his 18-year-old daughter Hannah still reported missing.
Jonathan Margolis writes:
Mike Lynch: The British tech trailblazer
Friday 23 August 2024 05:00
Tara Cobham
Mike Lynch, the tech tycoon who died when his luxury yacht sank off Sicily, spent more than a decade building Britain's biggest software company and almost as long again fighting charges he had inflated its value to secure a multi-billion-pound sale.
Lynch's body was retrieved on Thursday from the wreck of Monday's disaster, a senior Italian official said.
Lynch founded Autonomy in 1996 from his ground-breaking research at Cambridge University, and was lauded by shareholders, business leaders and politicians when he sold it to Hewlett-Packard for $11 billion 15 years later.
But in late 2012, HP stunned Wall Street and the City of London by saying it had discovered a massive accounting scandal. Lynch denied the charges.
HP wrote off $8.8 billion of value and triggered 12 years of legal battles in courtrooms from London to San Francisco.
Lynch was known for his formidable intelligence, turning his cutting-edge academic research into a multi-billion pound tech business and becoming known as Britain's Bill Gates.
He did not shy away from clashing with critics of his company - including on one occasion Oracle's Larry Ellison - and took a central role in building his defence.
He hired the biggest names in Britain's legal and corporate communications professions, and invited some journalists into a room filled with neatly stacked piles of company documents to be briefed on its accounts.
HP had been drawn to Autonomy's ability to search and organise unstructured information for clients, a killer application in a world of unlimited data, before the emergence of advanced artificial intelligence.
Lynch received about $800 million for his stake in Autonomy.
Watch: Captain details Bayesian sinking ‘within two minutes’ after rescuing survivors
Friday 23 August 2024 04:00
Tara Cobham
Who are the victims of the Bayesian yacht sinking?
Friday 23 August 2024 03:00
Tara Cobham
The bodies of those found in the search for six people missing after the sinking of a luxury yacht during a storm off the coast of Sicily are being recovered from the wreckage.
Five bodies have now been brought to shore in the small fishing village of Porticello, around 11 miles from the Sicilian
