UK Tycoon Mike Lynch, Daughter, and Chef Among Missing After Yacht Sinks in Sicily

British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, his 18-year-old daughter Hannah, and their chef Ricardo Thomas are among the six people still missing after a luxury yacht sank off the coast of Sicily. The tragedy occurred in the early hours of the morning when the yacht, carrying 22 passengers, was struck by a violent storm near the harbour at Porticello, east of Palermo.

The Italian coastguard has launched an extensive search and rescue operation involving specialist divers, helicopters, and patrol boats in an effort to locate the missing individuals. One man has been confirmed dead, while several others, including Lynch’s wife Angela Bacares, have survived the disaster.

Witnesses reported that the yacht, a 56-meter (184-foot) vessel, was anchored to the seabed when the storm hit with such force that the 72-meter (236-foot) aluminium mast snapped in half, causing the boat to become unbalanced and eventually sink. The yacht disappeared beneath the water around 5:00 AM local time.

One of the survivors, British passenger Charlotte Golunski, shared her harrowing experience of keeping her one-year-old daughter alive by holding her up in the water until they managed to get onto a lifeboat. Along with British citizens, the passengers aboard the yacht were reportedly from several other countries, including the US, Canada, Sri Lanka, and Ireland.

Local fisherman and witnesses described the storm as exceptionally powerful, with some mentioning a waterspout—a tornado-like phenomenon over water—as a possible cause of the catastrophic event.