British mother rescues her baby from waters after superyacht capsizes off Italian coast

Mother Charlotte said she tried to scream for help but could only hear the screams of others as she saved her daughter

A baby is among those being treated in hospital after a superyacht sank off the coast of Sicily, with her mother revealing how she rescued her.

Six tourists, including British technology tycoon Mike Lynch, are missing after the luxury boat Bayeasian capsized in bad weather at about 5am near Palermo. One of the survivors, a 35-year-old British mother named Charlotte, told Italian media outlet la Reppublica how she held her one-year-old daughter, called Sofia, above her head to save her from drowning.

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British tech tycoon Mike Lynch is among the missing passengers (Yui Mok/PA) (PA Archive)

“For two seconds I lost my baby in the sea, then I immediately hugged her again amid the fury of the waves,” she said. “I held her afloat with all my strength, my arms stretched upwards to keep her from drowning,’ she added.

“It was all dark. In the water I couldn’t keep my eyes open. I screamed for help but all I could hear around me was the screams of others.”

Both Charlotte and Sofia, as well as her husband James, are being treated in hospital. A body, believed to be that of the vessel’s chef, has been found and 15 people were rescued, including Mr Lynch’s wife.

According to reports, four of the missing passengers are British and two are American, while other rescued passengers were from New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Ireland.

The Bayesian, left, was built in 2008 and sank in bad weather overnight (Fabio La Bianca/PA) (PA Media)

Karsten Borner, captain of a nearby boat, told journalists those missing included the Bayesian’s owner and a child. He said his crew took on board some survivors who were on a life raft, including three who were seriously injured.

Fisherman Francesco Cefalu said he sailed from the shore to the scene after seeing a flare at about 4.30am, but by the time he arrived Bayesian had already sunk, with only items such as cushions and wood floating in the water.

He added: “I think they are inside, all the missing people.”

Prosecutors in the nearby town of Termini Imerese have opened an investigation to look into what had gone wrong.

The Bayesian was built by Italian shipbuilder Perini in 2008 and was last refitted in 2020, and was managed by yachting company Camper & Nicholsons.

A spokesman for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said: “We are in contact with the local authorities following an incident in Sicily, and stand ready to provide consular support to British nationals affected.”