Billionaire businessman Mike Lynch and his teen daughter have been found dead days after their superyacht sank off the coast of Sicily. The circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation.
In a heartbreaking twist of fate, what was supposed to be a triumphant sail into the sunset turned into a devastating tragedy for British tech billionaire Mike Lynch and his family.
Mike Lynch, former chief executive officer of Autonomy Corp., departs after the day of a court hearing at The Rolls Building in London, U.K., on Monday, March 25, 2019. | Source: Getty Images
On August 21, search teams made the tragic discovery in the wreckage of Lynch’s luxury superyacht, Bayesian. The vessel sank off the coast of Sicily after being battered by a rare and violent ‘black swan’ waterspout.
Per The Chief of Civil Protection, among the four bodies found were Lynch himself, known as ‘Britain’s Bill Gates,’ and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah—turning what was meant to be a “victory trip” into an unimaginable loss. Lynch and his daughter were found between mattresses on the sunken superyacht.
The 59-year-old mogul, who had just celebrated his US fraud trial win over the £8.3 billion sale of his tech company, Autonomy, to Hewlett-Packard, was not the only victim claimed by the sea.
Two other bodies—a man and a woman—were also recovered, from the master bedroom though their identities have yet to be confirmed. Adding to the sorrow, a fifth body remains trapped within the watery grave of the once-grand vessel.
Mike Lynch, former chief executive officer of Autonomy Corp., following an interview in London, U.K., on Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2010. | Source: Getty Images
Still missing are Morgan Stanley’s top executive, Jonathan Bloomer, his wife Judy, and a U.S. couple, Chris and Neda Morvillo, with authorities racing against time to locate them. Earlier on Monday, the body of Bayesian’s chef, Recaldo Thomas, was recovered, further deepening the layers of this unfolding maritime catastrophe.
Meteorologist Jim Dale, who once served as a forecaster in the Royal Navy, described the tornado’s impact on Lynch’s yacht. He stated that the incident had “anaemology written all over it” due to the presence of multiple waterspouts in the area.
On the day of the tragedy, reports indicated around 19 waterspouts within the local region, making conditions especially dangerous. Dale believes that after receiving weather warnings, the yacht’s captain likely took precautions.
However, anchoring the vessel at sea rather than in port may have accidentally put them in greater danger. He also suggested that some of the survivors might have received earlier warning signs, which helped them escape the worst of the storm.
