Entrepreneur Mike Lynch, who is called the «British Bill Gates», went missing when his yacht sank. Lynch was the founder of the software company Autonomy, which was acquired by Hewlett Packard for $11.1 billion. Lynch is also a member of the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Royal Society.
Lynch is one of six people missing after his superyacht sank off the coast of Sicily during a storm. There were 22 people on board at the time of the tragedy, 15 of whom were rescued by the Italian coast guard and firefighters. One person was identified as dead.
The businessman and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah are still missing, while his wife Angela Bacarez was rescued. Another Briton, two Americans, and a Canadian are also missing. The Italian Coast Guard states:
«Today at about 5:00 am, after a strong storm, the 56-meter British-flagged yacht Bayesian sank near Porticello».
Local reports say the boat sank after being hit by a mini-tornado of wind and water generated during the storm. The fishermen saw the tornado off the coast at around 3:55 a.m. local time, and shortly afterwards saw a distress call that may have been coming from the Bayesian. When they swam over, they found only the remains of the vessel floating in the water.
Eight of the survivors, including a child, are now in stable condition in local hospitals. The one-year-old child was rescued by her mother, who held her daughter’s head above the water and shouted for help.
The captain of another boat that was nearby told reporters that he had taken 15 survivors from the life raft and that the Bayesian had rolled over on its side before sinking. The Bayesian is owned by Revtom, a company registered on the Isle of Man and solely owned by Angela Bacarez. The luxury yacht can carry 12 guests and ten crew members.
In recent years, Mike Lynch has been in the news due to a lawsuit filed by HP. In it, the company claims that Autonomy exaggerated the firm’s wealth and misled regulators to facilitate the sale. Lynch was extradited to the US and won the case earlier this year. After he was acquitted in the HP case, Lynch said: «I look forward to returning to the UK and getting back to what I love most: my family and innovating in my industry».
The Italian coast guard is continuing the search, using both divers and helicopter teams. They found the wreckage about 50 meters below the surface. The operation will last all night, and additional teams of specialists will be sent to the scene.
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