A £30 million superyacht sank during an unexpected storm off the coast of Sicily, leading to the feared deaths of a prominent British businessman, often referred to as the “British Bill Gates,” his daughter, and a Morgan Stanley executive.
The incident occurred on the same day that the business partner of the businessman tragically died in a severe car accident. The storm’s intensity and the unfortunate timing of the accidents have raised concerns and inquiries into the circumstances surrounding these tragic events.
Questions are emerging about how a £30 million superyacht sank during a storm off the coast of Sicily, as the search continues for six missing individuals amid concerns that bodies may be trapped inside the vessel. British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, his 18-year-old daughter, and a Morgan Stanley executive are among those still unaccounted for after the yacht, named Bayesian, went down early Monday morning.
The vessel was anchored just 300 meters from the shore when it was struck by a suspected waterspout amid severe thunderstorms near Palermo around 5 a.m.
The superyacht, carrying 10 crew members and 12 passengers, sank rapidly, with survivors recounting their desperate escape from the vessel. A maritime expert has described the sinking of such a large yacht under the stormy conditions as “unprecedented,” noting that the vessel should have been able to endure the severe weather.
Search teams have recovered the body of one individual, believed to be a chef onboard, and fears remain that additional bodies may be located within the yacht’s hull by specialist divers.
British tech tycoon Mike Lynch, whose fortune is estimated at £852 million, had organized the ill-fated trip for his family and friends following his acquittal on fraud charges. The 59-year-old from Suffolk, who had recently been released from house arrest, saw the trip as a celebratory “victory” voyage that tragically ended in disaster.
Compounding the tragedy, the sinking occurred just days after the death of Stephen Chamberlain, an ex-colleague of Lynch who had recently won a fraud case against him. Chamberlain was killed in a car accident on Saturday morning. Police have stated that there is no evidence of foul play and no arrests have been made, as the driver of the vehicle involved remained at the scene.
