In a tragic turn of events, the body of British tech magnate Mike Lynch has been recovered from the wreckage of a sunken superyacht, as reported by multiple news outlets. The yacht, known as the Bayesian, met with disaster off the coast of Sicily, leading to an extensive search and rescue operation. Lynch was a prominent figure in the industry.
The Bayesian, a symbol of luxury and technological prowess, faced an unexpected severe thunderstorm that led to its sinking. Among those on board were Lynch’s family and friends, some of whom are still missing. Included among the six missing people were Lynch, his 18-year-old daughter Hannah, Christopher Morvillo, an American lawyer with Clifford Chance who defended Lynch in the fraud case, and Morgan Stanley International chairman Jonathan Bloomer, who testified in Lynch’s defense.
Ten crew members and 12 passengers, including British, American and Canadian nationals were onboard when a waterspout was believed to have struck and capsized the vessel sometime around 5 a.m. Monday near the port of Porticello, where it was anchored, officials have said.
The recovery efforts have been painstaking, with divers navigating the challenging conditions to retrieve the victims. The incident has raised questions about the safety measures and protocols in place for such luxury vessels. The hull of the Bayesian now rests on the seabed 164 feet underwater.
As the search enters its final stages, the focus remains on finding the remaining individual. As of Thursday morning rescuers are still searching for the last of the missing victims, as yet unidentified, but said to be a woman.
In a curious sidebar to the tragedy of the sunken Bayesian, Stephen Chamberlain, who was a co-defendant with Mike Lynch in a legal proceeding, tragically died after being struck by a car just days before Mike Lynch went missing following the sinking of his yacht. Chamberlain was known for his role as the former vice-president of finance at Autonomy and had also served as the chief operating officer of the cybersecurity firm Darktrace.
The legal proceedings in question revolved around the sale of Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard, which led to allegations of fraud. Both Lynch and Chamberlain were acquitted of all charges in a trial that concluded earlier this year. The sudden and unfortunate death of Chamberlain has cast another shadow over the tragic sinking of the Bayesian and the loss of its passengers.
