Luxury Yacht Sinks Off Sicily, Leaving One Dead and Six Missing After Tornado
On Monday, rescuers were searching for six individuals, including British tech tycoon Mike Lynch, who went missing after a luxury yacht was struck by a tornado and sank off the coast of Sicily. The incident resulted in the death of one of the 22 people aboard.
According to a spokesperson for Italy’s Coast Guard, the tornado struck the vessel around 5 a.m. Monday while it was anchored approximately half a mile from the port of Porticello on the Mediterranean island.
Among the missing are four Britons and two Americans, the spokesperson confirmed.
A source informed CNN that Mike Lynch, the founder of Autonomy, was a passenger on the yacht. His wife, Angela Bacares, was rescued. The source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
Fifteen others were rescued from the scene, and one child was airlifted to a children’s hospital in Palermo. The mayor’s office reported that eight people were hospitalized. The Coast Guard also confirmed that one body was found on the yacht's hull.
A small waterspout, a type of tornado, formed over the area on Monday morning, according to the European Severe Weather Database. The region had already been hit by intense storms the previous night, with over 4 inches (100 mm) of rain falling in less than four hours in Brolo, east of Palermo.
The weather forecast had predicted strong winds and widespread storms across southern Italy on Sunday, as noted by the Coast Guard spokesperson.
One survivor, Charlotte, 35, recounted her harrowing experience to Italian news agency ANSA, describing how she struggled to keep her one-year-old daughter, Sofia, safe as the yacht was overwhelmed by crashing waves.
"In an instant, I lost the baby to the sea, but I quickly pulled her back to me amid the chaos of the waves. I held her tightly as the storm raged," she told reporters. "There were many people screaming."
According to an Italy Coast Guard spokesperson, the captain is among the survivors of the incident.
The 56-meter yacht named "Bayesian," which flies a British flag, had primarily British passengers and crew on board, along with two Anglo-French, one New Zealander, one Irish, and one Sri Lankan, the spokesperson informed CNN.
The Italian fire brigade reported that its divers had reached the yacht’s hull, located 49 meters (160 feet) below the surface, and deployed helicopters to assist with the search efforts.
A nearby boat captain recounted to Reuters how he activated his engine to prevent a collision with the Bayesian amid the intense gales. “This morning, a strong gust forced us to start the engine to maintain an angled position,” he said. “When the storm passed, we realized that the ship behind us had vanished.”
0 Comments