12-Minute Search Resumes for Missing Passengers Including Tech Giant Mike Lynch, off Sicily

Photo : AP

Police divers resumed their search on Tuesday for six individuals, including British tech magnate Mike Lynch, who are believed to be trapped approximately 50 meters (164 feet) underwater inside the hull of a luxury yacht that sank in a storm off Sicily.

The search operation took place near Porticello, close to Palermo, where divers in wetsuits and oxygen tanks undertook 12-minute underwater shifts to explore the site where the luxury sailboat, The Bayesian, went down. The yacht had been moored about half a mile from the coast when it was hit by a severe storm early Monday morning. Reports suggest that the vessel may have been struck by a waterspout, a type of tornado occurring over water, as it experienced violent weather conditions.

During their initial search, fire rescue crews were only able to reach the bridge of the yacht. They could not access the below-deck cabins due to furniture that had shifted and obstructed the paths, making it impossible to get through to the lower areas where the missing passengers are presumed to be.

Out of the 22 people on board, 15 survived, including a mother who heroically held her 1-year-old baby above the waves until they were rescued. One body has been recovered and identified as the yacht's chef. Efforts to find the remaining six passengers are complicated by the depth at which the yacht rests, requiring divers to work in short, rotating shifts.

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The yacht, a 56-meter (184-foot) British-flagged vessel, was built in 2008 by Italian shipbuilder Perini Navi. Known for its impressive 75-meter tall aluminum mast, the yacht was available for charter at approximately €195,000 (around $215,000) per week.

The missing passengers include Mike Lynch, the British technology entrepreneur who was recently acquitted of fraud and conspiracy charges in a high-profile US trial related to Hewlett Packard’s $11 billion acquisition of his company, Autonomy Corp. Also unaccounted for are Lynch’s US lawyer, Christopher Morvillo, and his wife, as well as Jonathan Bloomer, chairman of Morgan Stanley International and former head of Autonomy’s audit committee, and his wife.

Among the survivors is Charlotte Golunski, who managed to hold her daughter Sofia above the waves until they were both rescued by a lifeboat. The father of the child, James Emslie, also survived the ordeal.

The search and rescue teams are continuing their efforts to locate the missing individuals and have indicated that the barrier blocking access to the cabins will need to be removed to continue their search effectively. The situation remains dire as families and loved ones await further updates.