Strong storms and a tornado reportedly sank the Bayesian, a 184-foot superyacht, early Monday morning, killing at least one and leaving six others missing, including billionaire Mike Lynch. Divers recovered two bodies from inside the yacht Wednesday, NBC reports. The bodies have yet to be identified, but assuming they’re the only bodies on the boat, that leaves four people still missing.
(Update: U.S. News reports that divers have now recovered four bodies, although they have yet to be officially identified. The same report also says Sicilian authorities have opened a criminal investigation even though there are no formal suspects. They’re reportedly looking into how the ship sank so quickly while a nearby boat didn’t suffer the same fate and was able to rescue 15 of the 22 passengers.)
The list of missing people includes Lynch, his 18-year-old daughter Hannah, Morgan Stanley banker Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy, as well as Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda. So far, the only body that has been officially identified is that of Recaldo Thomas, the ship’s cook.
As for the boat itself, it’s reportedly owned by a company that Lynch’s wife Angela Bacares is associated with. She was able to board a lifeboat and was later rescued by another nearby boat. The Bayesian was notable for its 250-foot mast, which was reportedly the tallest aluminum sailing mast in the world before it sank. Currently, it is unclear if any attempts will be made to raise the ship and repair it.
Lynch reportedly decided to go on a Mediterranean vacation to celebrate being found not guilty on all counts in his recent fraud trial. Bloomer testified in his favor at the trial, while Morvillo was his lawyer. While everyone involved was cleared of all charges, the case appears to be cursed, as Lynch’s co-defendant Stephen Chamberlain was also hospitalized recently by the driver of a car while he was out for a jog. The driver reportedly stayed at the scene and and helped authorities, although the investigation is still ongoing. Chamberlain has since died.
This is a breaking story and we will update this post when we know more.