After a superyacht sank during an unexpected storm, killing at least one person, authorities stated that divers are looking for six other persons near the Italian island of Sicily, reports RTE.
The luxurious boat, measuring 56 meters in length, was docked in Porticello, which is east of Palermo, when, just before sunrise, strong winds and precipitation surged up the coast, destroying fishing ports and beach clubs.
According to the Coast Guard, the missing persons were Canadian, American, and British nationals, reports RTE.
Mike Lynch, a British technology billionaire, is one of the people reported missing. Mr Lynch was born to a fireman father from Co Cork and a nursing mother from Co Tipperary.
Mr. Lynch was exonerated of accusations earlier this year that he planned a scam during the negotiations of Autonomy’s $11 billion sale to Hewlett Packard, a pioneer in Silicon Valley, reports RTE.
In order to maintain control of the boat and prevent a collision with the Bayesian, the captain of an adjacent boat told Reuters that he started the engine as the storm arrived.
Journalists were informed by Karsten Borner, “We were able to maintain the ship’s position, and once the storm passed, we noticed that the ship behind us had disappeared,” reports RTE.
After that, according to him, his crew discovered some survivors in a life raft, including three people who were critically hurt. They took the injured people on board before the coast guard arrived to retrieve them.
Cpt Borner said “a little baby and the wife of the owner” were among the survivors, while the owner of the sunken ship and another child were among those missing.
Among the 15 survivors were an Irish national, two people with joint French and British nationalities, a Sri Lankan, and a New Zealander, according to media reports, reports RTE.
“It was terrible. The boat was hit by really strong wind and shortly after it went down,” a British survivor called Charlotte told ANSA news agency.
The Bayesian, flying the British flag, had 22 people aboard, including ten crew members, the coast guard said. The majority of those aboard were British, according to Italian media.
The owner of the sinking ship and another youngster were listed as missing, but “a little baby and the owner’s wife” were among the survivors, according to Cpt Borner.
According to media sources, two individuals who had dual British and French nationality, a Sri Lankan, a New Zealander, and an Irish person were among the fifteen survivors.
“It was awful. The boat was struck by a very powerful wind and quickly capsized,” a British survivor named Charlotte told the ANSA news agency, reports RTE.
Ten crew members were among the 22 passengers on board the British-flagged Bayesian, according to the coast guard. Italian media reported most of them on board were British, reports RTE.
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