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Hannah Lynch’s sister Esme has described her sibling as “endlessly caring, passionately mad, unintentionally hilarious” in an emotional tribute paid this afternoon.
Family and friends of Hannah and Mike Lynch, who died after his luxury superyacht sank off the coast of Sicily, said earlier that they are “devastated”, adding that the 18-year-old being “taken on the precipice of her life” is “cruel beyond belief”.
Tributes for the pair have flooded in after the body of the last missing person, believed to be Hannah, was brought ashore on Friday.
The Bayesian sunk in a storm near the Sicilian capital of Palermo on Monday during a trip to celebrate the acquittal of Mr Lynch in a fraud case in the US.
The six people who went missing were British technology entrepreneur, his daughter Hannah, Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer, his wife Judy Bloomer, Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo, and his wife Neda Morvillo.
Of the 22 passengers and crew on board, 15 people – including Mr Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares – were rescued after escaping in a lifeboat. The boat’s chef Recaldo Thomas was confirmed dead on Monday, while the bodies of the six missing were recovered from the wreck later in the week.
Pictured: who was killed in the incident?
Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda Morvillo also died following the sinking of the yacht.
Jabed Ahmed24 August 2024 08:32
Mapped: Where did the Bayesian sink?
Jabed Ahmed24 August 2024 08:16
A complex salvage operation underway after ‘indescribable, unreasonable errors’
Giovanni Costantino, CEO of The Italian Sea Group , which owns Perini, has said the shipwreck was the result of a string of “indescribable, unreasonable errors” made by the crew, and ruled out any design or construction failings.
Pulling the Bayesian out of the sea may help investigators determine what happened, but the operation is likely to be complex and costly.
Nick Sloane, a South African engineer who led the operation to salvage the Costa Concordia cruise liner that sank in 2012, said in Italian media interviews on Friday that the operation would cost up to 15 million euros (£12.7 million).
He told La Repubblica that salvaging the yacht would take six to eight weeks, including preparation work, and would have to be completed by mid-October, without specifying the reasons for the timing.
Bringing the yacht to the surface will have to be done “very, very slowly”, and might take a couple of days, he said.
Jabed Ahmed24 August 2024 08:04
News conference to be held on yacht sinking amid reports of manslaughter probe
Italian officials are scheduled to hold a press conference on Saturday morning on the sinking of Bayesian off the coast of Sicily.
Termini Imerese Public Prosecutor’s Office investigators said it will hold a news conference to unveil the first findings of its criminal investigation, which was opened immediately after the tragedy despite no formal suspects having been publicly identified.
The main question investigators are focusing on is how a sailing vessel deemed “unsinkable” by its manufacturer, Italian shipyard Perini Navi, sank while a nearby sailboat remained largely unscathed.
Jabed Ahmed24 August 2024 07:30
Captain and other survivors questioned after Bayesian tragedy
The captain of the Bayesian superyacht, James Cutfield, and the other survivors have been questioned by the coastguard on behalf of prosecutors.
None of them have commented publicly on how the ship went down.
So far, nobody has been placed under formal investigation.
Tara Cobham24 August 2024 07:00
Watch: Captain details Bayesian sinking ‘within two minutes’ after rescuing survivors
Tara Cobham24 August 2024 06:00
Mike Lynch’s yacht was ‘unsinkable’, says boss of company who built boat
The Bayesian, a 184-ft superyacht carrying 22 passengers and crew, was anchored off the port of Porticello, near Palermo, when it disappeared beneath the waves in a matter of minutes after a freak tornado struck.
My colleague Joe Middleton reports:
Tara Cobham24 August 2024 05:00
Lynch family ‘devastated and in shock’
The Lynch family said they are “devastated” and “in shock” in their first public comments since the Bayesian superyacht sank.
After Hannah Lynch’s body was discovered on Friday following five days of searching the wreckage, a spokesperson for the Lynch family said: “The Lynch family is devastated, in shock and is being comforted and supported by family and friends.
“Their thoughts are with everyone affected by the tragedy. They would like to sincerely thank the Italian coastguard, emergency services and all those who helped in the rescue.”
Tara Cobham24 August 2024 04:00
In pictures: Fifth and final day of search as last body recovered
Tara Cobham24 August 2024 03:00
‘Brilliant, caring and beautiful’: Tributes to Hannah Lynch after body recovered
Friends have paid tribute to the “brilliant, caring and beautiful” daughter of tech tycoon Mike Lynch after her body was recovered from the Italian yacht disaster.
Hannah Lynch was one of 22 people onboard her father’s luxury boat the Bayesian when it capsized during stormy weather on Monday. Italian rescue teams retrieved her body, the last of six to be found, on Friday after five days of searching.
Grieving classmates said the 18 year-old, who was set to attend Oxford in a matter of weeks before tragedy struck, was a lover of literature and life.
My colleague Holly Evans reports:
Tara Cobham24 August 2024 02:00