Sicilian yacht divers find five bodies in Bayesian wrecks

Divers searching for the wreckage of a superyacht that sank off the coast of Sicily on Monday found the bodies of five of the six missing passengers, four of whom were also found ashore.

The Italian Coastguard is not officially identifying the bodies recovered from the Bayesian disaster – but rescuers have spent days searching for four Britons and two Americans.

These include Mike Lynch – a UK tech entrepreneur whose wife owns a Bayesian yacht – his daughter Hannah Lynch, Morgan Stanley Bank International chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy Bloomer.

The first two bodies found were brought ashore in Porticello harbor on Wednesday afternoon. Hours later, two more bodies were pulled from the water before the search was called off as night fell.

The Bayesian sank during bad weather on Monday morning 700 meters from shore.

It is thought to have been hit by a storm surge – otherwise known as a waterspout – causing the ship to capsize and sink 50 meters (164ft) into the sea.

A line of boats was seen going in and out of Porticello on Wednesday, ferrying divers to and from the search area.

Dozens of emergency workers were stationed in the small area as the bodies of the missing were brought back by boat from the crash site.

One body bag was seen being placed in the back of the ambulance before sirens sounded at the port and the vehicle, escorted by two police cars, left the port.

Italian authorities have so far refused to identify those who have recovered, despite reports from local and foreign media that some of them have been named.

This is because they are waiting to retrieve all six bodies before contacting the families of the victims and according to Italian law, the deceased must be officially identified by a family member, or a person close to the victims, before the death is official. confirmed.

Earlier, the head of the public protection unit in Sicily, Salvatore Cocina, said that there will be an investigation later, but the priority is to find everyone who was on the Bayesia boat.

Neda Morvillo, an American jewelry designer, and her husband Chris are also among the missing.

An inspection of the yacht’s internal structure took place on Wednesday morning, when a team of four British inspectors from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) arrived in Sicily on Wednesday at the site.

The depth of the shipwreck posed a challenge to the rescue effort.

Italian rescue services said a team of expert divers had been disturbed by the Bayesian lying on its side at the bottom of the sea, its inlets choked by debris.

Speaking before the bodies were found, professional diver Andy Goddard said conditions would be “very dark” in the danger zone and there would be limited ambient light at that depth.

“You’re in this space and you have things floating around you, like you’re in a washing machine. It’s really dangerous for a diver,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live.