By Ezekiel David
Hannah Lynch’s body was recovered from the wreckage of a boat that sank off the coast of Sicily earlier this week, according to confirmation from Italian authorities on Friday.
The 18-year-old was the last person unaccounted for after the tragic incident that claimed the lives of seven individuals, including her father, British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch.
The 56-meter sailing vessel, known as Bayesian, capsized in the early hours of Monday morning close to Palermo due to a strong storm. Hannah’s body was found by divers inside the sunken yacht, despite the fact that 15 others, including Lynch’s wife and the skipper of the yacht, survived.
The Guardian reported that the search for Hannah was, according to Italian firefighter Carlo Dall’Oppio “complicated due to furniture obstructing the passage” of the Bayesian. Coastguard Vincenzo Zagarola compared the sunken vessel to an “18-storey building full of water.”
Read also: Superyacht sinking update: Body of Mike Lynch found, daughter still missing
The yacht’s chef, Recaldo Thomas, Morgan Stanley International Chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife, Judy, lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife, Neda, are among the seven dead and recovered passengers, along with Mike and Hannah Lynch.
According to Italian news agency Adnkronos, authorities are investigating the sinking, citing charges of shipwreck, disaster and multiple homicides. Although first reports indicated that the boat was caught in an abrupt and intense storm, experts are surprised that a yacht of the size and design of the Bayesian, made by renowned Italian manufacturer Perini, could sink so fast.
Salvage operations are expected to commence soon. The yacht is submerged at a depth of fifty metres on the seabed. It could take several weeks to complete and cost up to $16.7 million, according to experts. The recovered vessel is expected to be crucial in providing investigators with further clues about the events leading to the tragedy.
The Lynch family, grieving over the loss, has asked for privacy. A representative conveyed appreciation to the Italian coastguard and all those participating in the rescue and recovery efforts. The incident is still being investigated.
(Source: Reuters)