Tech tycoon Mike Lynch missing as tornado sinks luxury yacht in Sicily

Mr Lynch was born in Essex to a Tipperary mother who was a nurse and a Cork father who was a firefighter

A rescue operation is underway to try and retrieve six bodies after a superyacht sunk off the coast of Sicily. Picture: Vigili del Fuoco/PA Wire

A technology tycoon with roots in Ireland is among six tourists missing after a luxury yacht sank in a tornado off the coast of Sicily, sources said.

A body, believed to be that of the vessel’s chef, has been found and 15 people were rescued, according to local media.

British technology tycoon Mike Lynch, who was born in Essex to Irish parents, is among the six tourists missing, sources said. It is believed his wife, Angela Bacares, was among those rescued.

Mr Lynch is known as the co-founder of Autonomy Corporation and the founder of Invoke Capital. Additionally, he became a co-founder of cybersecurity company Darktrace. 

The 59-year-old was born to a Tipperary mother who was a nurse and a Cork father who was a firefighter. He was raised near Chelmsford in Essex.

A spokesperson for Mr Lynch said there was no comment.

British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch. 

The superyacht, named Bayesian, capsized at about 5am off Palermo and was flying a British flag, according to ship-tracking site Marine Traffic. It had a crew of 10 people and 12 passengers.

The recovered body was found near the wreck at a depth of 50m (164ft), the fire and rescue services said. Four of the missing passengers are British and two are American, Italian news website la Reppublica stated.

The daily Il Giornale di Sicilia newspaper reported that the vessel had mostly British passengers on board, but also people from Ireland, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, and British-French citizens.

An Irish national was among those who were rescued. The Department of Foreign Affairs has said it is aware of the incident and is providing consular assistance. 

Fifteen people were rescued initially and taken to shore at Porticello, where eight were in the hospital.

One of the survivors, a British tourist named Charlotte, told la Reppublica she held her one-year-old daughter, Sofia, to stop her from drowning.

She said: “I held her afloat with all my strength, my arms stretched upwards to keep her from drowning.

“It was all dark. In the water, I couldn’t keep my eyes open. I screamed for help but all I could hear around me was the screams of others.” 

Charlotte and Sofia are being treated in hospital, as is Charlotte’s husband, James.

A helicopter and rescue boats from the Coast Guard, fire rescue and civil protection service were at the scene searching for the missing and had located the wreck at a depth of 50 metres.

#Palermo, naufragio imbarcazione davanti alla costa di Porticello, 15 persone salvate, 7 segnalate come disperse: dall’alba #sommozzatori dei #vigilidelfuoco impegnati nelle ricerche. Relitto individuato a 50 metri di profondità, in arrivo sommozzatori speleo [#19agosto 10:00] pic.twitter.com/IJGP2aRRWB

— Vigili del Fuoco (@vigilidelfuoco) August 19, 2024

The boat capsized at around 5am on Monday morning off the port of Porticello.

Experienced deep-water divers were arriving at the scene to try to enter the hull, he said.

Local media said a fierce storm, including water spouts, had battered the area overnight but skies were clear and seas calm by Monday morning.

The Ansa news agency said the yacht, built in 2008 by the Italian firm Perini Navi, had been moored off the port at Porticello.

Speaking earlier, Filippo Tripoli, the mayor of Bagheria in Sicily, said: “This morning, off the coast of Santa Flavia, a foreign boat sank due to bad weather, 15 people recovered and seven missing.

“Already all the police forces and emergency services are operational and our Red Cross volunteers are present.”