Tech billionaire Mike Lynch has been confirmed dead three days after his superyacht sank off the coast of Sicily early Monday morning.
He was among five identified bodies found during the search, including Jonathan and Judith Bloomer, lawyer Christopher and Neda Morvillo, and chef Recaldo Thomas. Lynch’s 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, remains missing.
Divers have faced challenges retrieving bodies from the wreckage due to obstructions inside the yacht caused by the freak waterspout that led to the sinking.
Brent Hoberman, a friend of Lynch, expressed his deep sadness, stating it is “unbelievably tragic” given Lynch’s recent struggles and efforts to clear his name over the past 12 years.
Diver Marco Tilotta reported that recovery efforts will continue despite worsening weather conditions.
Of the 22 people on board, including 10 crew and 12 passengers, 15 survived. Among them, 35-year-old British woman Charlotte Golunski and her one-year-old daughter Sophia.
Golunski described the chaos and fear as she fought to save her daughter amidst the darkness and turbulence.
Mike Lynch and his wife Angela, who sustained foot injuries, had hosted a party on the yacht the night before.
The incident occurred just two months after Lynch was acquitted of fraud charges related to the sale of his software company, Autonomy.
Lynch’s co-defendant, Stephen Chamberlain, died shortly before the accident in a car accident. Chamberlain’s lawyer praised him for his courage and integrity.
