Search Continues for Missing Passengers from Luxury Sailboat Disaster Off Palermo
The search for six missing passengers from the luxury sailboat, Bayesian, which sank off the coast of Porticello near Palermo, resumed early on Tuesday morning. Expert teams of firefighter divers have traveled from Rome, Sassari, and Palermo to inspect the wreck located at a depth of 50 meters.
Coast guards are also actively participating in the rescue operation with their team of divers, in addition to utilizing helicopters and cutters for the search. Rescuers believe the bodies of the missing individuals may still be trapped within the wreckage.
Among the confirmed missing passengers is Jonathan Bloomer, the president of Morgan Stanley International. His wife, Anne Elizabeth Judith Bloomer, and well-known British tycoon Mike Lynch are also unaccounted for, along with Lynch's 18-year-old daughter, Hannah; Chris Morvillo, a lawyer; and his wife, Nada Morvillo.
The tragic incident, which involved the 56-meter-long sailboat, occurred at dawn on Monday when the vessel sank suddenly following a tornado that struck the area. Of the 22 people aboard, 15 passengers were rescued, while seven were reported missing. Sadly, one body was recovered later on Monday morning after firefighter divers reached the wreck.
The victim has been identified as Ricardo Thomas, who served as the chef aboard the Bayesian. One of the survivors from the disaster is a one-year-old child, who was promptly taken to a pediatric hospital in Palermo for care.
Mike Lynch, 59, who is recognized as a pioneering force in the tech industry and referred to as the 'British Bill Gates,' is among those missing. He is the founder of the multinational software company Autonomy, which was at the center of a high-profile fraud case. In June, a US jury acquitted Lynch of all charges related to the sale of his company to Hewlett-Packard in 2011. His wife, Angela Bacares, was one of the individuals rescued.
According to port authorities, who are investigating the incident in coordination with prosecutors in Termini Imerese, there were 12 passengers and 10 crew members on board the Bayesian at the time of the accident. The calamity occurred sometime between 4 and 5 in the morning, coinciding with the ferocious storm that struck the region.
As rescue efforts continue, the focus remains on locating the missing passengers and uncovering the full circumstances surrounding this devastating maritime disaster.
Related Sources: