A sailboat sank during a storm off the coast of Sicily on Monday (see video above). One man’s body has since been recovered and six people are still missing, including tech billionaire Mike Lynch.
The dead man is believed to be the ship’s cook. The wreck currently lies on the seabed at a depth of 49 meters. Diving units and helicopters are being used to search for the missing persons. According to the authorities, the missing persons are British, American and Canadian citizens.
One of them is tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, who founded software companies Darktrace and Autonomy Cooperation and was at the center of a fraud case. In June, however, he was acquitted of all charges. Forbes estimated the 59-year-old’s fortune in 2015 at one billion dollars (equivalent to 0.9 billion euros).
15 people rescued
Lynch’s wife Angela Bacares has already been rescued. In total, the coastguard and fire brigade have brought 15 people safely to shore so far. Among them was a one-year-old boy who was taken to Palermo’s children’s hospital. The survivors received medical care. Interpreters and psychological staff were also present.
The tornado is said to have broken a mast
“I was at home when the hurricane started. I immediately closed all the windows. I looked out to sea and saw the boat with a big mast. I saw it sink suddenly,” said a fisherman from Porticello. The tornado is said to have broken the sail mast. This caused the boat to lose its balance.
As reported, the 50-meter-long ship with 22 people on board sank around 05:00 off the coast of Porticello near Palermo. The luxury yacht “Bayesan” sailed under the British flag. A party was organized on board that lasted until late at night. A nearby boat under the Dutch flag provided first aid to the survivors.
Source: Krone
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