Sicily yacht sinking: Morgan Stanley chief, UK tycoon missing | What we know so far

A yacht that sank off the coast of Sicily on Monday morning also had aboard Morgan Stanley International chairman Jonathan Bloomer. He is now among the six still missing, along with UK tech tycoon Mike Lynch who was also on the yacht. An Italian coast guard official said that a freak storm hit the yacht early Monday after which it quickly sank. It was carrying a crew of 10 people and 12 passengers.

Who all are missing?

British tycoon Mike Lynch was one of the first high-profile names to emerge from the tragedy. His 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, is also yet to be found. Salvatore Cocina, head of the civil protection agency in Sicily, said two other big names - Jonathan Bloomer and Chris Morvillo, a lawyer at Clifford Chance, are also missing. Rescue operations are on, with helicopters and rescue boats provided by the Coast Guard, fire rescue and civil protection services involved in the search.

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Who else was aboard the yacht?

The 56m superyacht called Bayesian had a total of 22 people on board - 10 crew and 12 passengers. Mike Lynch's wife, Angela Bacares, was among those rescued. Eight of those rescued are hospitalised while the rest are at a hotel. One person was found dead on the hull of the boat and is believed to be the chef.

Also Read: Sicily yacht tragedy: Who is Mike Lynch, touted as UK's answer to Bill Gates

What happened on Sicily coast

A violent storm proved fateful for the British-flagged superyacht. It was anchored just off shore near the port of Porticello when it was hit by a tornado. The weather had been terrible overnight and early morning the yacht couldn't withstand the fierce storm. Tragically, a waterspout struck the place where the Bayesian had been moored. The boat shot a flare as SOS but it sank soon after. Fisherman Fabio Cefalù told the Associated Press that he saw a flare at around 4:30 am and immediately went to the site. However, by the time he reached it, only cushions, wood and other items from the superyacht were visible in the water.

Investigation

An investigation will be conducted into the sinking. The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch is deploying a team of four inspectors to Italy for an assessment. The Foreign Commonwealth and Development office was “providing consular support to a number of British nationals and their families.”

About the yacht

The superyacht was built in 2008 by the Italian firm Perini Navi. According to Charter World and Yacht Charters, it had four double cabins, a triple and the master suite for 12 passengers, besides crew accommodations,

It was previously named Salute and flew under a Dutch flag.