Divers find five bodies in wreck of Sicily yacht

Divers searching the wreckage of the superyacht Bayesian, which sank off the coast of Sicily on Monday, have recovered the bodies of five out of six missing passengers. The Italian Coastguard has yet to formally identify the recovered bodies, which were brought ashore at Porticello harbour.

The search has been focused on locating four Britons and two Americans, including prominent UK tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, his daughter Hannah Lynch, and Jonathan Bloomer, the chairman of Morgan Stanley Bank International, along with his wife, Judy Bloomer.

On Wednesday afternoon, the first two bodies were brought ashore, followed by two more later in the evening. The search was paused as night fell, with divers expected to resume operations the following day.

Throughout the day, a steady stream of boats ferried divers between the wreck site and Porticello harbour, where emergency services staff stood by as the bodies were brought back.

Italian authorities have not yet confirmed the identities of the recovered bodies, likely awaiting the retrieval of all six victims before notifying the families. According to Italian law, formal identification by a family member or someone close to the victims is required before the deaths can be officially certified.

Salvatore Cocina, head of Sicily’s civil protection agency, stated that while there will be an investigation into the incident, the immediate priority remains the recovery of all passengers who were aboard the Bayesian vessel.