Rescue divers have recovered the body of the last missing person following the tragic sinking of the superyacht Bayesian off the coast of Sicily.
The discovery brings the confirmed death toll to seven, as the Italian Coastguard continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the disaster.
The final victim, 18-year-old Hannah Lynch, daughter of British tech tycoon Mike Lynch, was found inside the wreckage early Friday afternoon.
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Hannah had recently completed her A-levels and was set to begin studies at Oxford University this autumn. Her father, Mike Lynch, was among the five bodies recovered earlier this week.
The Bayesian, a British-flagged luxury yacht, sank at around 5:00 am local time on Monday. The vessel had been moored approximately half a mile from the coast of Porticello, near Palermo, when it went down. Of the 22 people on board, 15 were rescued after escaping onto a lifeboat. Among the survivors is Angela Bacares, Mike Lynch’s wife.
Jonathan Bloomer, chairman of Morgan Stanley International, and his wife, Judy, were also among those confirmed dead in the incident. The Bloomer family expressed their “unimaginable grief” in a statement, praising the couple’s dedication to their family and thanking rescue teams for their efforts.
Investigators from the local public prosecutor’s office in Termini Imerese are gathering evidence for a potential criminal investigation.
Questions have been raised about the yacht’s stability, particularly concerning its retractable keel, which some experts have identified as a potential point of failure.
The Italian Sea Group, which owns the company that manufactured the Bayesian, defended the vessel’s safety record, but its CEO, Giovanni Costantino, suggested that human error might have played a role in the disaster. He criticized the crew’s apparent lack of alertness during the storm that preceded the sinking.
A press conference is scheduled for tomorrow morning, where prosecutors are expected to provide further updates on the investigation.
The tragedy has drawn widespread attention, with tributes pouring in for those who lost their lives. Mike Lynch, described as a “genius” and a “titan of industry,” was particularly lauded for his contributions to the UK technology sector.
Meanwhile, Clifford Chance, the law firm where Christopher Morvillo, another victim, was a partner, expressed deep sorrow over the loss of Morvillo and his wife, Neda.
As the investigation continues, the global community mourns the loss of those who perished in this devastating maritime disaster.
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