A Carabinieri vehicle parked near the port where the search for missing passengers continues after a yacht capsized off the coast of Palermo, Italy, on August 19, 2024.
2019-09-23 11:36:31 UTC
Morgan Stanley International Chairman Jonathan Bloomer, British technology entrepreneur Mike Lynch and four others are missing after a luxury yacht sank in a storm off the coast of Sicily.
Lynch's 18-year-old daughter Hannah, Bloomer's wife Judy, Clifford Chance attorney Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda were missing when difficult search and rescue efforts resumed Tuesday.
The death of one person, the ship's cook, was confirmed by the Italian coast guard. Lynch's wife Angela Bacares was among the 15 rescued.
Bloomer has been chairman of Morgan Stanley International, the London-based branch of the investment banking giant, since 2016. He holds the position on a non-executive basis. He is also chairman of the insurance company Hiscox.
Aki Hussain, CEO of Hiscox, said both Bloomer and his wife Judy were among the missing.
“We are deeply shocked and saddened by this tragic event,” Hussain said in a statement. A Morgan Stanley spokesperson said: “Our thoughts are with everyone affected, especially the Bloomer family, as we all await further news from this terrible situation.”
Morvillo, a partner at Clifford Chance in New York, recently represented Lynch in a landmark trial involving allegations made against him by Hewlett Packard. Lynch was acquitted in June.
A spokesman for Clifford Chance said: “We are shocked and deeply saddened by this tragic incident. … Our highest priority is to support the family and our colleague Ayla Ronald, who fortunately survived the incident along with her partner. Our thoughts are with the other passengers and crew and all those affected.”
The 56-metre sailing yacht Bayesian was hit by a violent storm at around 4 a.m. local time on Monday, as it had 10 crew members and 12 passengers on board. The vessel, which was anchored, capsized near the port of Porticello. Witnesses told local media that the boat quickly sank after its mast broke.
In a statement on Tuesday, Italian rescue services said divers had been able to access the interior of the shipwreck on Monday evening. Operations were made difficult by obstacles and narrow access points, they said, and it was not possible to check the presence of the missing people through the portholes in the cabins.
Measures are currently being planned to open access to the huts.
Divers are working at sea to search for missing people, including British entrepreneur Mike Lynch, after a luxury yacht sank off the coast of Sicily, Italy on August 19, 2024.
Fire department handout | Via Reuters
Renato Schifani, president of the Sicily region, visited the children's hospital in Palermo, Italy, on Monday to visit a one-year-old British girl and her parents, all of whom were rescued from the ship.
“My thoughts are with all those affected and their families, but today we are also here to testify that the solidarity and commitment of our health workers and civil protection volunteers are a valuable resource for our community,” Schifani said in a statement, according to a Google translation.
Many of those on board were employees and colleagues of Lynch, the 59-year-old founder of the enterprise software company Autonomy.
Lynch was embroiled in a lengthy legal battle with Hewlett Packard after the US technology giant accused him of inflating the value of Autonomy in an $11 billion sale. He was extradited from the UK to the US last year to face trial on the HP allegations.
Lynch was acquitted of fraud charges after a three-month trial. According to various media reports, the boat trip was a celebration of Lynch's acquittal.
Stephen Chamberlain, a former vice president of finance at Autonomy and Lynch's co-defendant in the case who was also acquitted, reportedly died Saturday when he was hit by a car while jogging in Cambridgeshire, England.
“Steve successfully fought to clear his good name in court earlier this year and his good name now lives on through his wonderful family,” his lawyer said in a statement to the BBC.
— CNBC's Ryan Browne contributed to this story.
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