On the morning of August 19, 2024, a luxury yacht named Bayesian sank off the coast of Sicily during a violent storm leaving one man dead and six others missing. The 56-meter vessel was carrying 22 people including 10 crew members and 12 passengers among them British, American and Canadian nationals.
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The yacht Bayesian was struck by a severe storm while anchored off the Sicilian coast near the town of Porticello. The storm produced waterspouts, which are rotating columns of air and water similar to tornadoes that caused the yacht to lose balance and sink.
One person was confirmed dead, though their nationality has not been identified. Additionally six people including four Britons, two Americans and a Canadian remain missing.
Among those rescued was a one-year-old British girl who was safely brought to shore by emergency responders.
Out of the 22 people on board, 15 were rescued with eight being hospitalized due to injuries sustained during the incident. Three of the survivors were reportedly heavily injured and are receiving medical treatment.
The rescue operation was mobilized after the storm passed. A Dutch-flagged vessel, which was nearby, spotted a red flare launched by the survivors and rushed to the scene, finding a life raft carrying 15 people.
The survivors were rescued from the rough seas and provided with care until emergency services arrived.
Rescue divers were dispatched to the wreckage site, which was identified approximately 50 meters below the water’s surface.
They are currently searching for the missing individuals and assessing the situation to determine the cause of the yacht’s sinking.
One fisherman reported seeing people being rescued by an inflatable boat launched from another yacht. Another fisherman said spotting debris including cushions from the yacht’s deck, floating in the sea.
The Bayesian was a luxury sailing yacht built in 2008 by the Italian shipbuilder Perini Navi. The vessel, with an aluminum hull, was capable of reaching speeds of up to 15 knots and was designed to carry 12 guests and a crew of 10.
It was registered under the British flag and was managed by Camper and Nicholsons International, a well-known yacht management company.
The yacht had departed from the Sicilian port of Milazzo on August 14, 2024. It was last tracked east of Palermo on the evening of August 18 with its navigation status listed as at anchor.
Among those reported missing is Mike Lynch, a British technology entrepreneur known for founding Autonomy Corporation, a software firm that became one of the leading companies in the UK tech industry during the 1990s.
Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares was among the survivors, while Lynch’s fate remains uncertain.
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Mike Lynch was recently in the news due to his acquittal on 15 counts of fraud related to the $11.1 billion sale of Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard in 2011.
After a protracted legal battle, Lynch was cleared of all charges in a trial held in San Francisco earlier this year. Following his acquittal Lynch expressed his desire to return to the UK and resume his work in the technology sector.
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has acknowledged the incident and stated that they are in contact with local authorities in Italy. The FCDO has offered consular support to the British nationals affected by the tragedy.
The Italian coastguard confirmed the sinking of the Bayesian at approximately 5:00 AM on August 19, 2024. They have stated that rescue operations are ongoing and that the public prosecutor’s office in Termini Imerese is investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The superyacht Bayesian, built in 2008 by Italian shipbuilder Perini Navi, sank unexpectedly around 5 a.m. The incident occurred near the coast of Porticello, approximately half a mile from the port.
The sinking is believed to have been caused by the severe weather, which included a strong storm and a tornado that hit the area an hour earlier.
The Bayesian was a 56-meter luxury sailing yacht with an aluminum hull. It was capable of accommodating 12 guests and had a crew capacity of up to 10 members.
The yacht was listed for charter at up to 195,000 euros per week. The yacht left the Sicilian port of Milazzo on August 14 and was last tracked east of Palermo on Sunday evening, where it was recorded as at anchor.
The yacht had 22 people on board including mostly British nationals and crew members along with two Anglo-French, one New Zealander, one Irish and one Sri Lankan.
Italian authorities have launched a rescue operation involving divers, motorboats and helicopters. Divers from the Sicilian city of Sassari and Naples have been deployed to search the wreckage located at a depth of approximately 165 feet.
Rescue efforts have been hampered by the challenging weather conditions, which included powerful winds and heavy rainfall across the region.
So far 15 people have been rescued from the scene including a one-year-old baby who was airlifted to a children’s hospital in Palermo.
Eight of the rescued individuals have been hospitalized, but none are reported to be in serious condition.
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