British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter are among six missing after a luxury yacht sank near Sicily. The incident occurred early Monday morning off the Italian island’s coast. The search for the UK tycoon missing after the yacht disaster is ongoing. #UKTycoonMissing
The 56m (183ft) vessel was carrying 22 people including British, American and Canadian nationals. Fifteen people were rescued, including a one-year-old British girl, and authorities are continuing their search into the night.
Local media reported that the yacht, named Bayesian, capsized around 05:00 local time after facing a heavy overnight storm. The storm caused waterspouts, rotating columns of air, to appear over the sea.
Mr. Lynch, known as “the British Bill Gates,” co-founded the software company Autonomy. Hewlett-Packard later acquired it for $11 billion (£8.6 billion).
Witnesses told Italian news agency Ansa that the Bayesian’s anchor was down when the storm hit. The mast broke, causing the ship to lose balance and sink off the coast of Porticello, near Palermo, Sicily.
A waterspout is similar to a tornado and can form over oceans, seas or large lakes.
Divers have identified a wreckage 50m below the water’s surface and are searching for those missing.
Sicily’s civil protection director, Salvatore Cocina, told the BBC that Mike Lynch, his daughter Hannah, and the yacht’s chef are missing. The search for them continues. #UKTycoonMissing
He said the search, involving caving and rescue diving teams, would continue overnight.
Additionally, the UK tycoon missing has sparked widespread media coverage. The incident serves as a reminder of the unpredictable nature of sea travel, especially when prominent figures are involved.
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