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Who was on the superyacht that sank off the coast of Sicily? | World news

Details have been released about the 22 people who were on board the superyacht that sank off the coast of Sicily.

The British-flagged ship, Bayesian, was carrying 12 passengers and 10 crew members when got into trouble early Monday morning.

Seven bodies have already been recovered. The remaining 15 people on board have been rescued.

Here’s what we know about the people who were on the yacht.

Follow the latest news about the sinking of the superyacht

Mike Lynch

Mike Lynch. Photo: Reuters
Picture:
Photo: Reuters

British tech giant Mike Lynch was among the original six missing. On Thursday, divers confirmed that his body had been found.

Raised in Ilford, east London, by Irish parents, the 59-year-old made millions from software company Autonomy, which he founded in 1996.

According to the Sunday Times Rich List 2023, his net worth was estimated at £852 million and he was believed to have owned a yacht.

Following the global success of Automomy, Mr Lynch was appointed scientific advisor to former Prime Minister David Cameron and a non-executive director of the BBC.

The Cambridge University maths and science graduate sold the company for £8.64 billion to US giant Hewlett Packard (HP) in 2011.

Dubbed the “British Bill Gates,” Mr. Lynch has been in the headlines in recent months over a high-profile fraud case involving the sale of Autonomy to HP in 2011.

HP has accused him of deliberately inflating the company’s value ahead of its takeover by a US technology company. Mr Lynch has denied any wrongdoing.

In June, the American jury cleared him of all charges.

Read more:
Lynch’s co-defendant dies days before yacht crash

Hannah Lynch

Mike Lynch and his daughter Hannah. Photo: PA
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Hannah Lynch. Photo: PA

Also on board was Mr Lynch’s 18-year-old daughter, Hannah Lynch. A body believed to be that of the teenager was recovered from the wreckage on Friday.

She was reportedly on holiday with her parents after managing to secure a place to study English at Oxford University.

Her previous school, Latymer Upper School in Hammersmith, west London, said it was “extremely shocked to hear that Hannah and her father are among those missing in this tragic accident” after a yacht sank.

Angela Bacares

Mr Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, was on board the yacht and was rescued.

The 57-year-old said she and Mr Lynch were woken by the boat “tilting” at 4am – half an hour before it sank.

Jonathan Bloomer

Jonathan Bloomer is the CEO of Morgan Stanley Photo: Hiscox/Linkedin
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Photo: Hiscox/Linkedin

The death of Jonathan Bloomer, chairman of investment bank Morgan Stanley International, was confirmed on Thursday.

According to the Financial Times, Mr Bloomer appeared as a defence witness for Mr Lynch during his US criminal trial, and the pair were good friends. He also chaired Autonomy’s audit committee.

The 70-year-old served as chairman of British and Hong Kong insurer Prudential until his board dismissed him in 2005.

He was also chairman of the insurance company Hiscox.

Judith Bloomer

Mr. Bloomer’s wife, Judy, was on a yacht trip with her husband. Divers confirmed they found her body on Thursday.

Ms Bloomer is a former trustee of the gynaecological cancer charity The Eve Appeal.

The charity described her as “a brilliant advocate for women’s health and medical research… an incredible supporter, committee member and trustee of our charity for over 20 years”.

Read more:
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Get Thomas Back

Chef Recaldo Thomas died on board the yacht.

He was a Canadian-Antiguan and a member of Bayes’s crew.

His body was the first to be recovered from the wreck.

Chris Morvillo

Christopher Morvillo Photo: Clifford Chance Flyer
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Photo: Clifford Chance Flyer

Among the divers whose bodies were found on Thursday was American lawyer Chris Morvillo.

The father-of-two worked on Mr Lynch’s fraud trial in the US and was a partner in the US office of law firm Clifford Chance.

Mr. Morvillo served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York from 1995 to 2005 and worked on the investigation into the September 11 terrorist attacks.

In a recent LinkedIn post, he thanked the legal team that helped win Mr. Lynch’s case.

He concluded his post by saying, “And finally, a huge thank you to my patient and wonderful wife, Neda Morvillo, and my two strong, brilliant, and beautiful daughters, Sabrina Morvillo and Sophia Morvillo.

“None of this would have been possible without your love and support. I am so happy to be home. And everyone lived happily ever after…”

Ned Morvillo

Photo: Patrick McMullan/Getty NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 21: Meda Morvillo and Chris Morvillo attend the Summer Birthday Cocktails for Lawrence Kaplan at Tower 270 - Rooftop on June 21, 2018 in New York City. (Photo: Patrick McMullan/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images) ***Local Caption*** Meda Morvillo; Chris Morvillo
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Neda and Chris Morvillo Photo: Patrick McMullan/Getty

Mr. Morvillo’s wife, Ned, died in the crash along with her husband.

The 57-year-old was the owner of a luxury jewellery brand, which she ran under her maiden name, Neda Nassiri.

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Ayla Ronald

Ayla Ronald. Photo: Clifford Chance
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Ayla Ronald. Photo: Clifford Chance

The law firm has confirmed that Ayla Ronald, a senior associate at Clifford Chance, survived the yacht disaster.

The 36-year-old worked with Chris Morvillo to help defend Mike Lynch in court.

Clifford Chance said in a statement: “Our highest priority is to provide support to the family, as well as to our colleague Ayla Ronald, who, along with her partner, fortunately survived the incident.”

She is originally from Christchurch, New Zealand, but lives in London, her father told local media.

He added that she was “very shaken” but “she and her partner are alive.”

Charlotte Golunski

Charlotte Golunski

Charlotte Golunski was on board the yacht and was rescued along with her one-year-old daughter, Sofia.

In an interview with Italian newspaper La Repubblica, she confirmed that she survived the sinking of the yacht and told how she managed to keep her daughter alive after she was rescued.

“I kept her afloat with all my strength, reaching up with my arms so she wouldn’t drown,” she said.

“It was dark. I couldn’t keep my eyes open in the water. I screamed for help, but all I could hear around me were the screams of others.”

According to her LinkedIn profile, the 35-year-old is a partner at one of Mr Lynch’s firms – Invoke Capital – and has worked there since 2012.

She also worked for 11 months at Hewlett Packard, which acquired Autonomy in 2011.

She previously studied history at the University of Oxford.

James Emsley

Ms Golunski’s partner, James Emsley, was also rescued from the yacht, according to the Sicilian civil defence agency.

The 36-year-old is the father of a one-year-old daughter.

James Cutfield

The 51-year-old yacht captain spoke to Italian newspaper La Repubblica after he was rescued.

Mr Cutfield, from New Zealand, was taken to the emergency department at Termini Imerese, where he told the newspaper: “We didn’t expect this.”

Leah Randall

Leah Randall after being pulled ashore in Porticello on Monday. Photo: Reuters
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Photo: Reuters

Leah Randall was part of the Bayes’ crew and survived the sinking.

She is pictured coming ashore at Porticello on Monday morning. She is from South Africa.

Her mother, Heidi, told Sky News she was “extremely happy that my daughter’s life has been saved by the grace of God”.

“It doesn’t make it any easier to live with the heartache of those who lost their lives (or are) missing. My deepest condolences to the chef’s family, as they have forged a great friendship,” she said.

Chicken Katja

Flight attendant Katja Chicken lands at Porticello on Monday. Photo: Reuters
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Photo: Reuters

Katja Chicken was another member of the Bayesian crew from South Africa. She is pictured arriving at Porticello on Monday, from where she was transported safely.

Leo Eppel

Leo Eppel. Photo: Reuters
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Leo Eppel. Photo: Reuters

The Italian coastguard confirmed on Tuesday evening that Leo Eppel, a crew member, also survived the sinking of the yacht.