One Dead, Six Missing, Including Mike Lynch and Daughter, After Superyacht Sinks in Storm with 22 Aboard
Photo of Mike Lynch. Credit: Loren Elliott/Bloomberg via Getty Images
UK Foreign Office Response
A spokesperson for the UK Foreign Office stated, “We are offering consular support to several British nationals and their families after an incident in Sicily. We are in contact with local authorities.”
Mike Lynch’s Legacy
Mike Lynch co-founded Autonomy in the mid-90s. The software firm quickly became a prominent player in the UK tech industry. Often compared to Bill Gates, Lynch faced legal battles over the last decade. These were related to allegations of fraud during the sale of Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard for $11 billion.
Legal Battles and Acquittal
Mike Lynch Missing In June, a jury in San Francisco acquitted the 59-year-old Lynch after he had spent over a year under effective house arrest. Following his acquittal, Lynch expressed his desire to return to the UK. He stated, “I am eager to get back to what I love most: my family and innovation.”
Tragic News of a Co-Defendant
On the same day, Lynch’s co-defendant, Stephen Chamberlain, passed away. Chamberlain, who was Autonomy’s former vice-president of finance, was hit by a car while running in Cambridgeshire. After the accident, he was placed on life support but unfortunately did not survive.
Mike Lynch Missing His lawyer, Gary Lincenberg, described him as a man of great courage and integrity. “He fought hard to clear his name, which lives on through his family,” Lincenberg added.
Recognition and Achievements
Lynch was awarded an OBE in 2006 for his contributions to enterprise. He also held prestigious positions, including a seat on the science and technology council under Prime Minister David Cameron in 2011. Additionally, Lynch was elected a fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2008 and the Royal Society in 2014.
The Incident in Sicily
The Italian coastguard reported that a British-flagged yacht, the Bayesian, sank at around 5 am following a severe storm near Porticello. The yacht was 56 meters long and carried 10 crew members along with 12 passengers.
Divers search for those missing. Photo: Vigili Del Fuoco/Reuters
Rescue divers are attempting to reach the hull, which settled at a depth of around 49 meters. The public prosecutor’s office in Termini Imerese has launched an investigation into the incident.
Italian police officers stationed at the harbor. Photograph: Alessandro Fucarini/AFP/Getty Images
Charlotte Golunski, 36, the mother of the one-year-old child, reportedly explained that she kept her daughter afloat by holding her arms straight up to prevent her from going under.
“It was pitch black,” she recalled to Italian media. “In the water, I couldn’t keep my eyes open. I was yelling for help, but all I could hear were the screams of others around me.”
Golunski mentioned that the passengers, who were all Lynch’s colleagues, had been on a trip to the Aeolian Islands, Milazzo, and Cefalù.
The coastguard reported that the yacht was built in 2008 by the Italian shipbuilder Perini. The luxury vessel featured an aluminum hull, had a top speed of 15 knots, and could accommodate 12 guests along with a crew of up to 10, according to information from specialized yacht websites.