Four bodies have now been found inside the sunken superyacht that was caught in a storm off the coast of Italy.
The Bayesian, a 160-foot luxury vessel, carrying 22 people - 12 passengers and 10 crew members - capsized after being struck by a sudden and devastating waterspout tornado on Monday.
The storm, which unleashed fierce winds, snapped the yacht's single mast, causing it to lose balance and overturn, according to reports from Italian media.
Rescue operations were launched immediately by the Italian Coast Guard and local authorities. Of the 22 aboard, 15 have been rescued.
Among those rescued was a one-year-old child who was airlifted to a children's hospital in Palermo.
Sadly, one person was confirmed dead yesterday, and a further two bodies were revealed to have been located on the sunken vessel on Wednesday afternoon (August 21), before another two were found shortly afterward.
As reported by BBC News, an unnamed source close to the search site said that two of the missing six people were found, while Sky News later confirmed a further two bodies were also recovered.
Further reports claim that two of the bodies were found behind two mattresses.
Although the identities of the deceased remain unknown, sources cited by the BBC claim that one is a male.
This means there are now five people confirmed deceased and two people still unaccounted for.
At the start of the day, divers were working on getting to the yacht located 50m (165ft) below the surface of the water.
Per Sky News, the six people they are searching for includes:
- Mike Lynch: A UK businessman known for co-founding Cambridge Neurodynamics and the tech firm Autonomy.
- Hannah Lynch: His 18-year-old daughter, currently a student.
- Jonathan Bloomer: Chairman of Morgan Stanley Bank International.
- Judy Bloomer: Jonathan Bloomer's wife.
- Chris Morvillo: A partner at the law firm Clifford Chance.
- Neda Morvillo: Chris Morvillo's wife and a jewelry designer.
As stated, it is currently unclear who the divers have located and are now working on extracting from the yacht.
The yacht’s captain, James Catfield, survived the disaster. He was seen outside an emergency room in Termini Imerese, described by sources as "limp" and visibly exhausted.
Reflecting on the tragedy, he offered a chilling five-word confession: "We didn't see it coming."
Newly released security footage, captured just 650 feet from where the Bayesian sank, shows the yacht’s final moments as it disappeared beneath the waves.
The video, described as "chilling," shows the yacht’s lights gradually fading as the storm intensified.
A witness, who reviewed the footage, spoke to Giornale Di Sicilia, stating: “Of about 20 cameras installed in the house, only one was not disturbed by the wind and rain. You can clearly see what is happening. There was nothing that could be done for the boat. It disappeared in a very short time.”
