A tragic accident has unfolded off the coast of Italy, where a luxury superyacht, the Bayesian, capsized and sank during a violent storm. Among the missing is Mike Lynch, a prominent British tech entrepreneur often compared to Bill Gates. Alongside Lynch, two Americans are also unaccounted for, with one man confirmed dead, as reported by Fox News.

The 184-foot yacht, flying the British flag, was carrying a mix of foreign tourists when it went down in rough waters near Sicily. The vessel sank off the coast of Porticello, close to Palermo, after encountering severe weather early Monday morning. Italian authorities confirmed that 15 people, including a 1-year-old girl, were rescued from the sinking ship. However, six individuals remain missing.

🚨🇮🇹#BREAKING Major accident in Italy as a super yacht sinks in bad weather at the moment, one dead, six missing and presumed dead in 15 rescued.

Italy’s Coast Guard has been searching for the missing six passengers aboard super yacht.🛥️ #ItalySuperyachtsinks pic.twitter.com/zeN5vp5JWK

— Todd Paron🇺🇸🇬🇷🎧👽 (@tparon) August 19, 2024

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The Italian Coast Guard reported that the yacht capsized sometime after 5 a.m. while anchored near the port. The Bayesian, which hosted 10 crew members and 12 passengers from various nationalities, was caught in an unexpected and fierce storm. A Coast Guard official in Palermo remarked, “Bad weather was anticipated, but no one expected it to be this intense.”

Italy has been battered by storms and heavy rainfall in recent days, with the north suffering from devastating floods and landslides after weeks of intense heat. The storm that sank the Bayesian is part of this broader weather pattern, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.

Karsten Borner, the captain of a nearby boat, described the scene, saying, “We managed to keep our ship in position, but once the storm passed, we realized the ship behind us was gone.” Borner’s quick thinking to start his engines likely prevented a collision with the sinking Bayesian.

Built by the Italian firm Perini Navi in 2008, the Bayesian was renowned for its towering 246-foot aluminum mast, which stood as one of the world’s tallest. This luxury vessel, a sight to behold, was available for charter at rates reaching $215,000 per week.

The wreck of the Bayesian now lies 164 feet beneath the surface. Italian deep-water police divers are currently attempting to access the hull to locate the missing. According to Luca Cari, a spokesperson for the Italian fire rescue service, the search is ongoing.

Eight of the 15 survivors were transported to shore at Porticello and subsequently hospitalized. Among them was a mother, identified as Charlotte, who recounted the harrowing moment when she briefly lost hold of her 1-year-old daughter Sofia in the water. She managed to keep her daughter above the waves until they were both rescued by an inflatable lifeboat.

A fisherman, Francesco Cefalu’, who witnessed the disaster, reported seeing a flare from shore around 4:30 a.m. He rushed to the scene but found only debris from the yacht, including cushions and wood, floating in the water. “I fear the missing people are trapped inside the wreck,” Cefalu’ said, voicing a grim concern shared by many.