Divers still haven't searched 'entire' yacht as sixth body still missing at sea (original) (raw)

Divers yet to inspect 'entire' Bayesian superyacht as sixth body still missing at sea

The £30million Bayesian superyacht owned by Mike Lynch has still not been fully inspected by divers as the British tech billionaire's daughter remains unaccounted for

Inspections of Mike Lynch's Bayesian superyacht have continued

Mike Lynch’s superyacht has not yet been fully inspected by divers, the Mirror understands.

The national head of the fire brigade Carlo Dall’Oppio told our reporter operations are proceeding slowly because they have to protect the safety of the divers. He said: "The sixth body has not yet been located, we have not yet inspected the entire boat, so we think it is possible that the body is still inside. These operations are proceeding slowly, because we must first of all preserve the health of our operators."

He added: "It is a difficult job — there are about 40 divers used, 28 of whom come from outside Sicily". In total, about forty divers are involved in the operation.

British tech billionaire Mike Lynch, 59, died but his wife Angela survived the tragedy

After underwater search teams finally gained access to the hull of the yacht, 59-year-old Mike Lynch's body was identified yesterday - but Hannah, his 18-year-old daughter, remains unaccounted for. Sicily's Chief of Civil Protection Salvo Cocina said yesterday he believed Hannah Lynch was among the bodies recovered, but this morning the Italian Coastguard confirmed the final person yet to be found was a woman. The family had been celebrating his recent acquittal on fraud charges with the people who defended him at trial in the United States. Mike Lynch's wife Angela, 57, managed to escape.

The Bayesian, a 184-foot British-flagged superyacht, went down in a storm early Monday after it was caught in a freak waterspout tornado while was moored about a half a mile offshore. The £30million boat may have sunk in as little as 60 seconds, experts say.

Local search and rescue teams say they are working in difficult conditions, with the boat now firmly planted on the seabed (

Image:

PA)

Besides Hannah Lynch, those missing are Christopher Morvillo, one of Lynch's U.S. lawyers, and his wife, Neda, as well as Jonathan Bloomer, chairman of Morgan Stanley's London-based investment banking subsidiary, and his wife, Judy. Recaldo Thomas, the superyacht's chef, has been confirmed dead. Divers have struggled to find the bodies in the hull of the yacht, which is sat on the seabed around 50 metres (164 ft) underwater. Luca Cari, spokesperson for the fire rescue service, said: "We would need a crystal ball to know when we'll be able to find the next body. It's very difficult to move inside the wreckage. Moving just one metre can take up to 24 hours."

Judy Bloomer disappeared on the yacht along with husband Jonathan Bloomer

Termini Imerese Public Prosecutor's Office investigators were collecting evidence for a criminal investigation, which they opened immediately after the tragedy despite no formal suspects having been publicly identified. Investigators are now looking at why the Bayesian, built in 2008 by Italian shipyard Perini Navi, sank while a nearby yacht remained largely unscathed.