In a tragic turn of events, the body of British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch has been recovered from the wreckage of the Bayesian, a luxury superyacht that sank off the coast of Sicily earlier this week. Italian authorities, led by Interior Ministry official Massimo Mariani, confirmed the recovery on Thursday, but the search for Lynch’s 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, remains ongoing.
The Bayesian, a British-flagged vessel, sank rapidly after its towering mast, one of the tallest in the world, snapped in half during a violent storm. The yacht, carrying 22 passengers and crew, was beset by extreme weather, including what is believed to have been a rare waterspout that developed over the area.
Rescue teams have been tirelessly combing the wreck site, which lies 50 meters underwater, battling harsh conditions that allow divers only a brief window of around 12 minutes to explore the submerged yacht. So far, five bodies have been recovered, including that of the ship’s chef, Recaldo Thomas. Fifteen people were rescued in the immediate aftermath of the sinking, but six were initially reported missing, including Lynch, his daughter, and several other prominent individuals.
Among the missing are Jonathan Bloomer, a director at Morgan Stanley International, and his wife, Judy; as well as high-profile American lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife, Neda. As the search continues, the Italian authorities have yet to formally identify all the victims, citing the need for a legal confirmation process involving the prosecutor’s office.
The sudden sinking of the 56-meter (184-foot) Bayesian has raised serious questions about the circumstances that led to the tragedy. Giovanni Costantino, CEO of The Italian Sea Group—the firm that acquired the vessel’s manufacturer, Perini Navi, in 2021—expressed disbelief and sorrow over the incident. He pointed to a series of avoidable mistakes that may have contributed to the disaster, noting that the crew failed to take necessary precautions when the storm hit.
“Once they became aware of the bad weather, the ship’s crew should have locked down the hull, closed all doors and hatches, and gathered all guests at the ship’s assembly point,” Costantino said in an interview with Corriere della Sera. “Instead, it took on water with guests still in their cabins. All it took was a 40-degree tilt, and those in the cabin found themselves trapped.”
Costantino emphasized that vessels like the Bayesian are typically designed to be “unsinkable,” with structural features that should have prevented such a catastrophic outcome. However, the unusual conditions created by the waterspout, combined with the crew’s apparent missteps, seem to have played a critical role in the tragedy.
In a separate interview, Costantino reiterated that there was no indication that the yacht’s design or construction was at fault. He described the event as an “unbelievable story” from both a technical and factual standpoint.
As the investigation into the sinking unfolds, the United Kingdom’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has also launched its own inquiry, dispatching a team of inspectors to Palermo to conduct a preliminary assessment of the scene. The rapid sinking of the yacht—captured in grainy CCTV footage that shows the vessel disappearing beneath the waves in just 60 seconds—has left many grappling with how such a disaster could occur.
The footage, recorded by a witness from a nearby villa, reveals the sheer power of the storm as it pummeled the yacht. The Bayesian, unable to withstand the extreme conditions, capsized and vanished almost instantaneously.
As the world watches, the focus now turns to finding the remaining missing individuals, including Hannah Lynch, and understanding the full scope of the tragedy that claimed the lives of so many on what should have been a luxurious voyage.
