Topline
The chairman of Morgan Stanley International was reportedly among the six missing people—including UK tech mogul Michael Lynch— after the 184-foot luxury sailing yacht Bayesian sank in rough seas near Sicily early Monday morning, according to new reports.
Italian emergency services headed out to sea towards the area off the Sicilian coast on Tuesday, … [+]
Key Facts
Lynch, a British tech entrepreneur and one-time billionaire, and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah Lynch are confirmed to be among those still missing after the ship sank (his wife, Angela Bacares, was rescued).
Jonathan Bloomer, chairman of the Morgan Stanley International bank and insurance company Hiscox, is also reportedly among the missing along with his wife, Judy.
Authorities on Monday told the BBC the missing people are presumed to still be inside the boat, and rescue operations resumed Tuesday morning.
The vessel had 22 people on board — 10 crew and 12 passengers — including people from the United States, Britain and Canada, when it overturned at around 5 a.m. Monday, according to the Italian coast guard.
Fifteen people were rescued from the vessel (including a 1-year-old girl), one person was found dead and six, including two Americans, remain missing, according to multiple reports.
Local media reported the person who died was a member of the crew, thought to be the yacht’s chef.
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Who Are The Missing People Aboard The Bayesian Yacht?
Lynch, 59, and his daughter were the first to be reported as among the missing. Lynch’s lawyer Chris Morvillo, a former assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, has also not been found, nor has his wife and jewelry designer Neda Morvillo. Bloomer, 70, a close friend of Lynch’s, is also missing along with his wife, Judy.
Key Background
The Bayesian was anchored near the port of Porticello overnight Sunday when a harsh storm hit the coast that included a ” waterspout,” a tornado-like swirling column of air and water. The ship tipped over and quickly was drug underwater by its massive mast—it had the tallest aluminum mast in the world at 246 feet. Of the 15 people rescued in the aftermath, eight were treated at a local hospital.
Tangent
Lynch was acquitted in a fraud trial in June after he was accused by Hewlett-Packard of artificially inflating the value of Autonomy before HP bought it for more than $11 billion in 2011. HP wrote off $8.8 million of Autonomy’s value within a year of buying the company. Today, The Times estimates Lynch has a net worth of £500 million. He “had a lot of pride” in his yacht, a member of his staff told the U.K. paper, and business filings show the boat is legally owned by his wife, Bacares.
Surprising Fact: Lynch’s Co-Defendant Stephen Chamberlain Died The Same Weekend
Stephen Chamberlain, who was acquitted in the same trial as Lynch in June, died hours after news broke of Lynch’s disappearance. Chamberlain was hit by a car while jogging in England on Saturday morning and was put on life support before his death was announced late Monday, the Guardian reported. Lynch and Chamberlain were both indicted for conspiracy and wire fraud in the sale of Autonomy to HP before being acquitted.
What To Watch For
An ongoing search operation includes divers attempting to search the vessel, now sitting 160 feet below sea level, as well as rescue boats and helicopters, according to CNN.
Big Number
$215,000. That’s the cost to charter the Bayesian, a single-mast sailing vessel, for one week.
Crucial Quote
“She told me that while they were sleeping, at a certain point the yacht overturned due to the tornado, and they found themselves in the water,” Dr. Domenico Cipolla, head of the emergency room at the pediatric hospital in Palermo, Italy, told The Times. “Some of them immediately managed to get onto the lifeboat. And some, evidently, didn’t make it.”
Further Reading
Mary Roeloffs is a Forbes reporter who covers breaking news with a frequent focus on the entertainment industry, streaming, sports news, publishing, pop culture and climate change. She joined Forbes in 2023 and lives in Dallas. She’s covered Netflix’s hottest documentaries, a surge of assaults reported on social media, the most popular books of the year and how climate change stands to impact the way we eat. Roeloffs was included on Editor & Publisher Magazine’s “ 25 Under 30” list in 2023 and worked covering local news in the greater Boston area from 2017 to 2023. She graduated with a double major in political science and journalism from Northeastern University. Follow Roeloffs for continued coverage of streaming wars, pop culture news and trending topics.
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