Who are the victims of the Bayesian yacht sinking?
On Thursday, the Italian Coastguard confirmed to the PA news agency that the sixth and final person yet to be found is a woman.
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Your support makes all the difference.The bodies of those found in the search for six people missing after the sinking of a luxury yacht during a storm off the coast of Sicily are being recovered from the wreckage.
Five bodies have now been brought to shore in the small fishing village of Porticello, around 11 miles from the Sicilian capital of Palermo.
On Thursday, the Italian Coastguard confirmed to the PA news agency that the sixth and final person yet to be found is a woman.
Technology tycoon Mike Lynch, his daughter Hannah, Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer, his wife Judy Bloomer, Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda Morvillo were lost when the Bayesian was hit by a storm and sank at around 5am on Monday.
The bodies of the missing men onboard the luxury yacht, as well as the boat’s chef, have now been recovered.
The family of Jonathan and Judy Bloomer have also confirmed the couple have died.
These are the details of each of the victims on board.
– Mike Lynch
British technology tycoon Mr Lynch founded software giant Autonomy in 1996, and made his name as one of Britain’s most influential entrepreneurs.
In June, the 59-year-old was cleared of conducting a massive fraud relating to an 11 billion dollar (£8.64 billion) sale to US company Hewlett Packard.
The boat trip was a celebration of his acquittal.
Of the 22 passengers and crew on board, 15 – including Mr Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares – were rescued after escaping onto a lifeboat.
Mr Lynch was born in Ilford, east London, brought up in Essex and was the son of a nurse from Co Tipperary and a fireman from Co Cork who enjoyed childhood summers in Carrick-On-Shannon and Tipperary where he had family.
He went to Cambridge University and started his first business while studying for a PhD in signal processing and communications research.
He was made an OBE for services to enterprise in 2006. That same year, he was appointed to the board of the BBC, and was later elected to then-prime minister David Cameron’s council for science and technology in 2011.
David Tabizel, Mr Lynch’s Autonomy co-founder, said: “The world has lost a genius. His family have lost a giant of a man.”
Mr Lynch was a member of the Create The Change fundraising board, set up by Cancer Research UK, which helped fund the building of the Francis Crick Institute.
Chairman Lord John Browne, who described him as “a human being of great ability”, said: “Mike Lynch should be remembered as the person who catalysed a breed of deep tech entrepreneurs in the UK.
“His ideas and his personal vision were a powerful contribution to science and technology in both Britain and globally.”
He became a fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2008, which paid tribute for his “active role” as a “mentor, donor and former council member”. He was an inaugural member of the enterprise committee.
On Thursday, the technology industry group TechUK also described him as “a hugely significant and pioneering figure in the UK technology sector”.
– Jonathan Bloomer
The Morgan Stanley International bank chairman is a prominent businessman who holds a number of boardroom roles after an extensive career in financial services.
He was the chief executive of global finance group Prudential between 2000 and 2005, and is chairman of Morgan Stanley International as well as Hiscox and property business SDL.
Mr Bloomer was among those to give evidence as a defence witness for Mr Lynch, and media reports suggest the pair are close friends.
– Judy Bloomer
Mr Bloomer’s wife Judy worked as a psychotherapist for nearly 30 years, specialising in anxiety and stress.
In a statement confirming their parents’ deaths, the Bloomer family described the couple as “incredible people and an inspiration to many”.
They said: “We are grieving for our loved ones and all of those affected by the tragedy.
“Our parents were incredible people and an inspiration to many, but first and foremost they were focused on and loved their family and spending time with their new grandchildren.
“Together for five decades, our only comfort is that they are still together now.
“This is an unimaginable grief to shoulder.”
Ms Bloomer was a trustee and long-time supporter of gynaecological cancer research charity the Eve Appeal.
She studied English language and literature at Homerton College, Cambridge, and previously worked as a teacher.
– Chris Morvillo
Mr Morvillo, 59, a partner at law firm Clifford Chance, represented Mr Lynch during the long-running criminal fraud trial where he was eventually cleared of all charges.
His long career included representing corporate and individual clients in white-collar government investigations, related regulatory and civil proceedings, and internal investigations.
Mr Morvillo had previously been a federal prosecutor, working on cases related to the 9/11 attacks and securing the conviction of lawyer Lynne Stewart for assisting terrorism during his time as assistant US attorney for the Southern District of New York between 1999 and 2005.
A Clifford Chance spokesperson said: “We are heartbroken at the tragic passing of our partner, Christopher Morvillo and his wife, Neda.
“We are deeply saddened and still coming to terms with this terrible loss. Our utmost priority is to continue to support Chris’s family at this very distressing time. Our thoughts extend to the families and loved ones of all those affected.
“We wish to express our deepest condolences and our love and support to Chris’s family and friends at this incredibly difficult time. We also want to thank the Italian authorities and rescue teams for everything they have done.”
– Recaldo Thomas
The first body recovered at the scene of the sinking on Monday was that of Canadian-Antiguan national Recaldo Thomas, who was working as a chef on the Bayesian superyacht, the Italian coastguard told Sky News.
In a tribute shared on Tuesday, Gareth Williams, a friend of Mr Thomas, told the BBC: “I can talk for everyone that knew him when I say he was a well-loved, kind human being with a calm spirit.”
Mr Thomas grew up in Antigua and spent his time there during the off-season, Mr Williams said.
Another friend, Eli Fuller, told the outlet Mr Thomas was “friends with everybody”, “always positive” and “sought after” in his profession.