Emergency services in Italy resumed on Tuesday the search for the six people still missing after a luxury yacht sank off the coast of Porticello, Sicily, on Monday. Among the missing is British billionaire Mike Lynch, widely known as the British Bill Gates for his role in technology via Autonomy, the software company sold in 2011 to Hewlett Packard for about 10 billion euros. A dive team is inspecting the wreck at roughly 50 meters depth, trying to locate the missing individuals.
In addition to Lynch, rescue crews are searching for his daughter Hannah, 18, as well as Jonathan Bloomer, the president of Morgan Stanley International and a shareholder in Hiscox, along with his wife Judy Bloomer. Chris Morvillo, a lawyer from Clifford Chance, is also among the missing, while the identity of the sixth person is believed to be Morvillo’s wife, Neda Morvillo. British nationals account for at least four of the missing and two are American, according to Italian press. Parallel to the search, four inspectors from the British Marine Accident Investigation Branch have arrived on the island to conduct a preliminary assessment, Reuters reports.
Weather and Chronology
The luxury yacht, named Bayesian, sank off the Sicilian coast just before dawn on Monday amid a rough maritime spell. On board were 22 people, including 12 passengers and 10 crew members. One body, believed to be the ship’s chef, was recovered shortly after by rescuers, while the remaining 15 people were safe. The captain, Karsten Borner, who assisted the Bayesian during the disaster, told The Guardian that he had never witnessed a vessel of such size sink so quickly. He described how the boat disintegrated in minutes, followed by sighting the life raft with the 15 passengers aboard. The moment was described as a scene close to the end of the world by Borner.
Among the survivors is Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, who owned the vessel, and Charlotte Golunski, a partner at Invoke Capital. Golunski was aboard with her husband and their one-year-old daughter. The trio were on the deck when the yacht went under, which likely saved their lives. The frightened mother recalled how the storm surged around them, describing a moment when the world seemed to collapse. She told La Repubblica that the thunder, lightning, and towering waves made the boat reel, and for two terrifying seconds she lost sight of her daughter before grabbing her in the chaos. She spoke of darkness, nearly impossible to keep eyes open against the waves, and the frantic cries of others all around them.
Judicial Proceedings
Mike Lynch, aged 59, was cleared of 15 fraud charges related to the sale of Autonomy to HP less than three months earlier. The case followed allegations of serious accounting irregularities spotted by HP after the acquisition. Lynch avoided a penalty of up to 20 years in prison, a fate that also would have affected Stephen Chamberlain, the former deputy CFO who died in a hit-and-run in Cambridgeshire over the weekend. Two of the missing individuals, Morvillo and Bloomer, participated in the trial as a lawyer and a defense witness, respectively.
Hiscox chief executive Aki Hussain expressed solidarity with the victims and their families, particularly with Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy who remain missing. He emphasized that the company is deeply shocked and saddened by the tragedy. Morgan Stanley also issued a statement sharing condolences with the Bloomer family and others affected as investigators continue their work. The update from the two institutions underscored the impact of the incident on the corporate and financial communities involved in the vessel and its connections.