What was supposed to be an elaborate celebration to mark Mike Lynch’s acquittal in a high-stakes fraud case turned into tragedy when his superyacht fell victim to a strange water channel.
The luxury yacht was docked off the coast of Porticello, near Palermo, when a ‘whirlwind’ hit the area shortly before 5am this morning, wrecking the boat and causing it to quickly disappear beneath the waves.
The yacht had been visible to surrounding boats before it suddenly disappeared, claiming the life of one person while six remain missing.
Fifteen of the 22 people on board were rescued by the Sir Robert BP, a Dutch sailing vessel, which was ahead of the yacht.
British tech mogul Lynch reportedly invited his family and friends to the yacht to celebrate the dropping of fraud and conspiracy charges for allegedly conspiring to inflate the value of a company before selling it.
He had gathered guests from law firm Clifford Chance and his own company Invoke Capital after being acquitted in June.
“At around 4.30am it was gone. A beautiful boat where there had been a party. A normal day of holiday at sea turned into a tragedy,” a witness told Italian news agency ANSA.
As a desperate search effort is launched to find the six missing people, including British and American tourists, MailOnline looks at how the tragedy unfolded.
The storm whipping
The superyacht was illuminated and illuminating the water when suddenly a jet of water appeared very close to the boat.
Shortly before 5 a.m., the yacht became trapped in the channel and then suddenly disappeared, according to witnesses.
British tech mogul Mike Lynch had reportedly invited his family and friends to the yacht to celebrate the dropping of fraud charges.
The superyacht was docked off the coast of Porticello, near Palermo, when a ‘whirlwind’ hit the area shortly before 5am this morning.
The Bayesian, formerly known as Salute, was a 56-metre-long boat built in Viareggio, Tuscany, by luxury yacht manufacturer Perini Navi in 2008.
The new interior was inspired by Japanese style.
The sinking yacht
Witnesses have described the moment the yacht sank as very sudden, saying it was as if it had simply disappeared.
One person said: ‘The boat was fully lit up. At around 4.30am, it was no longer there.
‘A beautiful ship with a party going on. A normal day of vacation at sea turned into a tragedy.’
Meanwhile, the captain of the Dutch ship that saved 15 of the 22 people on board the yacht also claimed the boat had disappeared.
Captain Karsten Borner told the BBC: “After the storm was over, we realised that the ship behind us had disappeared.”
He added: “With a light we saw that the boat was in (the water) and then we saw a triangle. So I think it went backwards. Terrible. Terrible moment.”
A photo provided on August 19, 2024 by the Perini Navi Press Office shows the ‘Bayesiano’ sailing boat, in Palermo, Sicily, Italy.
Captain Karsten Borner told the BBC: “After the storm was over, we realised that the ship behind us had disappeared.”
Passengers rescued
Fifteen of the 22 passengers, including British and American tourists, were saved by Captain Borner’s Dutch ship.
Once the storm subsided, Borner said he and his friend noticed a flare in the water and headed toward it.
There they found the lifeboat with those who had escaped inside, among them a one-year-old baby and his mother Charlotte Golunski.
The mother, who survived the sinking, said she held her baby high to prevent him from drowning.
Among the six still missing are British billionaire tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter.
Search for rescue
Cave divers arrive to join the rescue operation in Palermo, Sicily, on August 19.
Experienced cave divers for deep-sea recoveries arrive at the dock as the rescue operation continues for missing people who were aboard a sailing boat that sank, in Palermo, Sicily, Italy, August 19.
Mr Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares (right), was among fifteen people rescued from the yacht.
Sicily yacht wreck survivor Charlotte Golunski battled to save her baby in storm
The massive search operation to find the six who are still missing continues today.
Tragically, the body of a man, believed to be a Canadian citizen working as the ship’s chef, was found floating alongside the vessel this morning.
Those still missing are feared to be trapped in their cabins, with divers earlier reporting seeing “bodies through the portholes” of the yacht, according to Italian media.
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