(Scypre.com) – A tragic incident occurred off the coast of Sicily, where a luxury superyacht sank, resulting in the death of one individual and leaving six others missing. The yacht, which had 22 people on board, was hit by severe weather conditions early Monday morning, as reported by Italian authorities.
Among the missing are Mike Lynch, a prominent British tech entrepreneur, his daughter Hannah Lynch, his lawyer, and four other individuals. Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, was among the 15 survivors rescued by Italy’s coastguard and firefighters. The 50-meter (164-foot) superyacht capsized around 5 am local time (03:00 GMT) due to powerful winds and turbulent waters caused by a waterspout, according to Italian media reports.
A coastguard spokesman informed AFP that the body of one person was found in the wreckage at a depth of approximately 50 meters. Italian media has identified the deceased as the yacht’s onboard chef.
The yacht was carrying 12 passengers and 10 crew members when it sank. The missing individuals are of British, American, and Canadian nationality, as confirmed by the coastguard.
Among those rescued was a one-year-old girl and her mother. Charlotte Golunski, one of the survivors, recounted the harrowing moment when she briefly lost hold of her daughter, Sofia, in the water. Fortunately, she managed to keep Sofia above the waves until a lifeboat arrived to rescue them. “It was terrible. The boat was hit by really strong wind and shortly after it went down,” Golunski shared with Italian news agency ANSA.
Eight of the 15 survivors were hospitalized, but all are reported to be in stable condition, according to Italian news agency Adnkronos.
The yacht’s capsizing is believed to have been caused by a waterspout, a weather phenomenon similar to a mini-tornado that occurs over water. Italy has been experiencing severe storms and heavy rainfall after enduring weeks of intense heat, which raised the temperature of the Mediterranean Sea to record levels. Meteorologist Luca Mercalli noted that the sea surface temperature around Sicily reached 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit), nearly 3 degrees above normal. “This creates an enormous source of energy that contributes to these storms,” Mercalli explained. While he did not attribute the incident solely to global warming, he acknowledged that it likely had an amplifying effect.
Local witnesses described the rapid and devastating impact of the storm. “I was at home when the tornado struck,” said fisherman Pietro Asciutto. “I immediately closed all the windows. Then I saw the boat, it just had one mast, it was really big. I saw it suddenly sink.” Another witness remarked, “The boat was all lit up. Around 4:30 am, it was no longer there. A beautiful boat where there was a party. A normal joyous vacation day at sea turned into tragedy.”
Italian prosecutors in the nearby town of Termini Imerese have launched an investigation into the incident. Rescue efforts continue, with fire department divers searching the waters around the sunken yacht and helicopters assisting from the air. The yacht, which was flying a British flag, was managed by Camper & Nicholsons, who released a statement confirming their involvement in the ongoing search for the missing individuals.