Rescue teams carry a body from the British-flagged Bayesian on Wednesday, following the luxury yacht’s sinking near Porticello, Sicily. Reuters
On Wednesday, five bodies were recovered from the wreckage of a yacht that sank off the coast of Sicily, with one person still missing. The yacht, owned by the wife of British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, went down during a severe storm on Monday.
The victims’ identities have not been disclosed yet. Emergency teams managed to bring four bodies to the port at Porticello, and a fifth body was located but remains to be retrieved. Divers are expected to continue their search for the remaining missing person on Thursday. The focus now is on finding Lynch, his 18-year-old daughter Hannah, and Jonathan Bloomer, a non-executive chair of Morgan Stanley International, among others.
Rescue workers carry a body bag while locating two more bodies inside the overturned ship. Reuters
The luxury yacht, named Bayesian, was a 56-meter-long vessel flying the British flag. It had 22 people on board when it capsized near the Sicilian port of Porticello, close to Palermo. The yacht was anchored when the violent storm struck, causing it to sink quickly. Of the 22 people aboard, 15 survived, including Lynch and Bloomer. The yacht’s onboard chef, Canadian Recaldo Thomas, was found near the wreck soon after the disaster.
The British luxury yacht Bayesian sank near Porticello, Sicily, early Monday after being hit by a severe storm. Out of 22 people on board, 15 survived. On Wednesday, rescuers recovered a Canadian man’s body and four others, while two people remain missing. Rescue boats continued the search operation that day. Reuters
Rescue efforts have been challenging. The yacht’s hull, which is proving difficult to access, has trapped many victims in cabins. Divers have only been able to spend short periods inside the vessel due to the harsh conditions. The Coast Guard has deployed a remotely operated vehicle to scan the seabed and capture underwater images, which may help in the ongoing search and investigation.
Emergency workers bring a body bag from a boat to a pier where ambulances are waiting. The Port Authority of Palermo confirmed that they recovered the body of Thomas Recaldo, a Canadian who had lived in Antigua and worked as the yacht’s cook. Reuters
In addition to the bodies recovered, the search has also been complicated by the high volume of refugee requests at the Porticello airport, which has overloaded local resources. The coast guard is applying pressure on airlines to provide basic necessities to waiting migrants as part of their broader humanitarian efforts.
The yacht’s captain, James Cutfield, who survived the sinking, is being questioned, along with survivors and witnesses. No one is currently under formal investigation. The exact cause of the sinking remains unclear, although some experts suggest it might be linked to a rare weather event, such as a waterspout.
Rescue teams continue their search on Wednesday for people still missing from the yacht. Six individuals were unaccounted for after the ship went down early Monday morning. Reuters
The Bayesian, built by Perini in 2008 and refitted in 2020, was known for its impressive features, including the world's tallest aluminum mast. The vessel was well-regarded in the Mediterranean sailing community, and its rapid sinking has raised questions about how such a well-equipped ship could be so quickly overwhelmed by weather conditions.
The incident has left many puzzled, as the yacht next to the Bayesian was unaffected by the storm. The search continues as authorities work to understand what caused the tragedy and provide closure to the affected families.
