One passenger has been confirmed dead and six passengers missing after a typhoon off the coast of Sicily hit the superyacht Bayesian, which then sank, on Monday morning.
The Italian Coast Guard confirmed that the severe storm hit at about 5am when the yacht was anchored near Porticello with 22 people on board.
Well-known British tycoon Mike Lynch, 59, whose family is believed to own the vessel, has been reported by several media outlets as being among the missing.
It also said the passengers consisted of American, Canadian and British nationals. Divers were, at the time of writing, searching for the missing passengers, with 15 having been rescued, including a mother and one-year-old daughter.
The 56m Bayesian luxury yacht, says the coast guard, sank to about 50 metres.
According to the Vessel Finder website, the Bayesian was en route from the Sicilian port of Milazzo to Bagheria, where she was due to arrive on September 18.
Reuters news agency says she was built by Italian shipbuilder Perini in 2008 and last refitted in 2020. She was managed by yachting company Camper & Nicholsons.
Reuters said the vessel was formerly known as Salute, and has a 75m aluminium mast that Perini says is the tallest of its kind in the world.
