British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and the Sicilian yacht tragedy: All you need to know

In June, a San Francisco jury acquitted British tech tycoon Mike Lynch in a fraud trial related to the multi-billion dollar sale of the software firm Autonomy to Hewlett Packard. Prosecutors had alleged that the 59-year-old entrepreneur inflated Autonomy’s revenue prior to the 2011 sale.

Fresh from the courtroom victory, Lynch is reported to have organised a cruise on the 56-metre luxury yacht, named Bayesian, to celebrate his acquittal. His co-defendant Steve Chamberlain, also acquitted, was killed on Saturday (August 17) when struck by a car in Cambridgeshire, England.

The superyacht with Lynch and his guests capsized around 5am local time on Monday, off the coast of Sicily, during a heavy storm that caused waterspouts, Italian media said. On Wednesday, the Italian coastguard continued its search for the people missing. Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter are among those missing as rescue efforts entered their third day. Four more bodies were recovered on Wednesday, bringing the confirmed death toll to five, with two people still missing.

Here’s what is known so far about the yacht and the tragedy:

How did Mike Lynch’s yacht sink?

According to Italian civil protection officials, a sudden and fierce storm hit the Sicilian coast early Monday, generating a waterspout (a sea tornado) where the British-flagged Bayesian was anchored off the port of Porticello, near Palermo.

How many people were aboard Bayesian?

There were 22 people aboard the yacht, including the crew. Fifteen were rescued, five were found dead, and two are still missing. The 12 guests included British, American, and Canadian nationals, are members of Lynch’s legal team and their families, who were celebrating Lynch’s legal victory.

What did eyewitnesses say?

Karsten Borner, captain of another yacht moored nearby, told Ansa news agency and Giornale di Sicilia newspaper that he saw the Bayesian during the storm, but it was missing when the weather cleared. He saw only a red flare lighting the night sky, according to the Associated Press.

Other witnesses reported to Ansa that the Bayesian’s anchor was down when the storm struck, causing the mast to break and the ship to lose balance and sink.

How many people were rescued?

Borner and his crew found a lifeboat with 15 people and took them aboard their yacht. Some were injured.

Who are among the missing?

Lynch and his daughter Hannah, 18, are missing. Top New York City lawyer Christopher Morvillo of global law firm Clifford Chance and his wife Neda, a jewellery designer, have not been found. Neda owns a luxury jewelry line under her maiden name, Neda Nassiri.

Jonathan Bloomer, chair of the insurance group Hiscox and Morgan Stanley International, and his wife Judy are also missing.

Who’s Mike Lynch?

Mike Lynch, 59, is a British tech investor and entrepreneur. Dubbed “the British Bill Gates,” he co-founded software company Autonomy, which was bought by Hewlett-Packard for $11 billion (£8.6 billion) in 2011. Autonomy helps businesses quickly find information buried in emails and other digital documents. The sale earned Lynch $800 million, making him one of the UK’s wealthiest individuals.

Who’s Jonathan Bloomer?

Jonathan Bloomer, 70, served as Morgan Stanley’s chair for nearly eight years and is also the chair of the insurance group Hiscox. He was on Autonomy’s audit committee and served as a non-executive director on the company’s board in 2010. Bloomer testified during Lynch’s trial in San Francisco.

Who’s Christopher Morvillo?

Christopher Morvillo, a member of a renowned dynasty of New York litigators, is a former US attorney who worked on the 9/11 criminal investigation. The 59-year-old, who works in private practice for Clifford Chance, had been leading Lynch’s defence in one of Silicon Valley’s most prominent fraud cases for over a decade. A Fordham graduate, Morvillo specialises in insider trading and corporate fraud cases.

Who are the survivors of the yacht tragedy?

Lynch’s wife Angela Bacares was among the survivors. Charlotte Golunski and her child also survived the storm’s fury.

“In two seconds, I lost the baby in the sea; then I immediately hugged her again amidst the fury of the waves. I held her tightly, close to me, while the sea was stormy,” said Golunski, who was rescued with her daughter Sofia, according to Ansa. The father, James Emslie, also survived.

Ayla Ronald, a Clifford Chance lawyer, was rescued. The Dutch foreign ministry reported that a Dutch man survived but did not release his identity.

How many bodies have been recovered?

Five bodies have been recovered so far, and that leaves two missing. One body found on the hull of the vessel on Monday (August 19) was identified as onboard chef Ricardo Thomas, an Antiguan citizen, according to Reuters. Four more bodies were found on Wednesday (August 21), the BBC reported, but the Italian coastguard has not yet confirmed the age or sex of these bodies.

Where is the wreck?

Rescue authorities said the wreck lies at a depth of 50 metres, about half a mile offshore from the fishing village of Porticello.

What’s hampering the rescue efforts?

Divers told NBC News on Wednesday (August 21) that debris inside the vessel blocked their access to the superyacht, despite managing to force open one of the doors. The depth of the wreck makes the divers’ job difficult, with only 10 minutes available to search the 184-foot yacht before needing to return to the surface.

What is the Bayesian?

The British-flagged Bayesian was a luxury yacht built in 2008 by the Italian firm Perini Nav, according to the Associated Press. Its single 75-metre aluminium mast is one of the world’s tallest. The name is an apparent reference to “Bayesian inference,” one of the two main approaches to statistical machine learning, and is used by Autonomy, the AP report said.

Maritime database Equasis noted that Revtom Ltd, based on the Isle of Man, owns the Bayesian, and Lynch’s wife is listed as Revtom’s sole owner. Charter sites indicate the yacht was available for rent for up to €195,000 (about $215,000) per week.