British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch is missing after a yacht sank off the coast of Sicily, Italy on Monday morning. At least five more people have been confirmed missing by the Italian authorities.
The luxurious 56-meter (184 foot) British-flagged yacht sank off the coast of Palermo, Sicily, Italy in the early hours of Monday morning. According to the BBC, the vessel was carrying a total of twenty-two people on board, mostly British.
Fifteen of them have already been rescued, six are missing, and one person was found dead by the Italian rescuers. Among the fifteen people rescued was also a one-year-old baby.
The luxurious yacht was hit by the exceptionally bad weather that has been affecting Italy since yesterday. Heavy rainfall and strong winds have been hitting large areas of Italy and the Western Balkans hard, with the weather now on course to affect Greece.
The British yacht, dubbed Bayesian, sank at approximately four o’clock in the morning local time (Summer Central European Time). The vessel was approximately 700 meters (less than half a mile) away from the nearest harbor of Porticello, a small town near Palermo.
The details, such as the name, nationality, and gender of the unfortunate individual who was found dead remain unconfirmed at this time. Additionally, six individuals are still missing despite ongoing efforts of the Italian authorities to locate them.
Lynch among those missing near Sicily
The BBC reported late on Monday that among the six individuals who are still missing is Mike Lynch.
Lynch, 59, is a British entrepreneur in the field of technology. He is known in the United Kingdom in tech and business communities. He is the co-founder of Autonomy Corporation as well as the founder of Invoke Capital. Furthermore, Lynch is involved in the cybersecurity company called Darktrace.
Italy has been affected by heavy rain and storms for almost two days now. The unseasonably inclement weather has led to significant disruptions as well as extensive damage in this popular Mediterranean destination.
Greece’s National Meteorological Service (EMY) warned on Monday morning that the thunderstorms that have been affecting Italy will move eastwards to cover parts of Greece on Monday and Tuesday.
More specifically, western, central, and northern parts of Greece are expected to experience heavy rainfalls and strong winds. Thunder and lightning are expected to follow the storms. The European Emergency Number 112 has therefore sent precautionary alerts to people on the Ionian islands.
