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According to officials in Italy, a 183-foot sailboat carrying 22 people sank early on Monday off the coast of the Italian island of Sicily following stormy weather in the area, killing at least one passenger.
Sources and Italian officials told CNBC that British tech magnate Mike Lynch and his daughter were among several other people still missing after the luxury superyacht sank near Sicily’s main city of Palermo during a violent storm. The U.K.-flagged vessel — named the Bayesian — sank off Porticello, near the coastal city of Palermo at around 5 a.m. local time (11 p.m. ET) with 22 people on board. Per the Associated Press, Lynch – described in U.K. media as “Britain’s Bill Gates” – was not among those rescued, but his wife Angela Bacares is said to have been found safe. The couple’s daughter Hannah, 18, is also said to be among those still missing (per BBC.)
According to the Italian coast guard and a local port authority, members of the coast guard have rescued 15 passengers, but six are still missing – with at least one American is believed to be among those still missing, as well as British and Canadian citizens also unaccounted for. Of those recovered, eight have been transported to local hospitals, officials said.
An authority from the Palermo Port Authorities told ABC News that the ship is currently located at a depth of around 164 feet, with firefighter divers now attempting to reach it. One body was recovered and six people were missing, with divers reaching the hull of the ship early on Monday and still searching the waters. The port official was unable to confirm whether any Americans were among the missing, but added that authorities were still working to verify the nationalities of those who had been on board. Four coast guard vessels, one helicopter and a team of fire brigade divers are involved in the search, which is being coordinated by the Palermo Coast Guard, the statement said.
Local Mayor Giuseppe D’Agostino wrote on Facebook that the “tragedy that struck our community is unparalleled in history. The administration has activated all channels with the police and is taking care of the people recovered alive so far. The search continues at sea and all we can do is pray and hope to find someone alive,” adding that local authorities are gathering clothes and finding accommodation for the survivors.
Lynch, 59, founded the enterprise software firm Autonomy and became the target of a protracted legal battle with Hewlett Packard after the U.S. tech giant accused him of inflating the company’s value in an $11 billion sale. He was acquitted of fraud following a three-month trial after being extradited from Britain to the U.S. last year.
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