Divers Discover 5 Bodies in Mike Lynch’s Sunken Superyacht

• Five bodies have been discovered in the wreck of a luxury superyacht off the coast of Sicily.
• Six individuals, including British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, remain unaccounted for.
• The superyacht sank after being struck by an unexpected storm.

In the aftermath of the sinking of tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch’s superyacht, divers have recovered the bodies of five individuals. The 183-foot superyacht named Bayesian was carrying a total of 22 people when it went down near Porticello, Palermo, on Monday due to severe weather conditions.

Among the 15 people rescued were Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, and the vessel’s captain, 51-year-old James Cutfield from New Zealand. Reports state that Cutfield underwent more than two hours of questioning by prosecutors following the incident.

The first body to be recovered was that of Recaldo Thomas, the yacht’s chef, shortly after the vessel sank. Currently, Lynch, his 18-year-old daughter Hannah, attorney Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda, as well as Morgan Stanley’s International chair Jonathan Bloomer with his wife Judy, are still missing.

Two bodies have been located in the hull of the yacht, concealed behind two mattresses, according to La Repubblica. Additionally, two more bodies were found inside the wreckage, as stated by Sicily’s civil protection agency to the BBC. A fifth body was discovered by divers, but recovery efforts were halted temporarily on Wednesday and are expected to resume on Thursday as confirmed by Sicilian authorities.

The identities of these recovered bodies have not yet been disclosed to the public. Italian authorities are actively investigating the reasons behind the sinking while search teams continue to look for the missing individuals. They are gathering evidence for a potential criminal investigation, yet no formal suspects have been named.

Italy’s Coast Guard has taken measures such as deploying a remotely operated robot to explore the seabed and capture underwater footage to assist in reconstructing the incident for the prosecutors.

Images released by Reuters depict rescue teams transporting what appears to be a body bag from the port of Porticello, located near Palermo.

The search and rescue mission for the six missing individuals has now been in progress for three days since the 183-foot yacht capsized. A spokesperson for the local fire department mentioned that the search is particularly challenging, requiring divers to operate in limited 12-minute shifts underwater.

“We are attempting to navigate through confined spaces, and even minor obstacles can significantly hinder progress,” stated Luca Cari, a spokesperson for the fire rescue service. “For instance, an electric panel might delay us for up to five hours. These conditions are beyond normal expectations and test the limits of our capabilities.”

Cari further explained that entering specific cabins is not straightforward, as they are at the level of the cabins but cannot simply open any doors.

Italian news agency Ansa reported that witnesses suggested the vessel capsized after a water spout struck the area amid sudden storms. Witnesses indicated that the mast of the boat had broken while it was anchored, leading to its loss of balance and eventual capsizing.

Lynch is recognized as one of the foremost technology entrepreneurs in the UK and is known for founding the software company Autonomy, which was sold to Hewlett-Packard for $11 billion. The sale initiated a legal battle for Lynch, but he was acquitted of fraud charges in the US in June. Reports indicate that Lynch was aboard the yacht celebrating his recent acquittal when the incident occurred.

Municipal authorities in Palermo and Italy’s Coast Guard have yet to respond to requests for comments.

This situation remains fluid as the investigation continues and updates become available.