1 Dead, 6 Missing—Including Tech Tycoon Mike Lynch—After Yacht Sinks Off Sicily

Two Americans, four Britons, and a Canadian are missing or believed dead after a luxury yacht sank Monday near the coast of Sicily, Italy.

British tech tycoon Mike Lynch is among the missing and the boat belonged to his family, a source familiar with the matter confirmed with TIME. His wife, Angela Bacares, was confirmed to be among those rescued. 

In June, Lynch was found not-guilty of fraud after a nearly 13-year-long saga. where he faced the possibility of up to 25 years in prison. Lynch, who sold his company Autonomy to Hewlett Packard (HP) for $11.1 billion in 2011, was accused of serious accounting improprieties by HP after the acquisition. HP executives went on to write down $8.8 billion of the company’s value and accused Lynch of fraud. Lynch faced legal battles for over a decade before being acquitted by a California jury in June. 

“I am looking forward to returning to the U.K. and getting back to what I love most: my family and innovating in my field,” he said when he was acquitted earlier this summer, per the Guardian. 

So far, one unidentified body has been found, but the six other people remain unaccounted for, according to authorities. The accident occurred during a storm on Monday, Italian Coast Guard officials said. The boat was carrying 22 people, 15 of whom were successfully rescued, the youngest of whom was a 1-year-old child.

The Italian Coast Guard told TIME in a statement that a 56-meter yacht named Bayesian that was flying the U.K. flag sank around 5 a.m. local time following a violent storm. 

Italian media reported that the yacht was struck by a waterspout, a miniature version of a tornado, during the storm, causing the boat to capsize. 

Of the 15 people rescued, eight were transferred to local hospitals, including the 1-year old child. So far, they are all reported to be in stable condition, according to Italian media.

Specialist divers are now attempting to inspect the shipwreck for bodies, which is located at a depth of approximately 160 feet. A helicopter is also on the scene to help search the surface for survivors, according to the BBC. The public prosecutor in the Italian city of Termini Imerese has opened an investigation into the incident.
The yacht was built in 2008 by the Italian shipmaker Perini, according to the website Yacht Charter Fleet. It was designed to carry up to 12 passengers and 10 crew members. The vessel was capable of reaching speeds of up to 15 knots and comfortably cruising at speeds of 12 knots. The ship had set sail from the Italian port of Milazzo on Aug. 14 and was headed toward another Sicilian port called Bagheria, where it was expected to arrive on Sep. 18 according to the website Vessel Finder.