Divers make gap in hull of boat as search enters ‘critical 24 hour period’ – reside
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Divers have managed to open a hole in the hull of the sunken superyacht, according to Italian media, as the desperate search for the missing continues.
An unexpected violent storm sank the British-flagged “Bayesian” in the early hours of Monday. At least one person has been confirmed dead and six are missing from the yacht carrying 22 people. The others were rescued by a passing sailboat.
The ship is lying on its side and, until the hole was made, appeared to be intact, Marco Tilotta, inspector of the Palermo Fire Department’s diving unit, told Il Messaggero.
Divers are trying to access its cabins and an Italian coast guard spokesperson told the PA news agency that boat owner billionaire Mike Lynch and others likely “still inside the boat.”
Mr Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, was one of the 15 people rescued. Eight survivors were taken to hospital, including a one-year-old baby.
Mr Lynch had reportedly invited his lawyers and friends to celebrate a recent legal victory that cleared him of fraud accusations in the US.
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Mike Lynch and others likely ‘still inside the boat’
Mike Lynch and the five others missing are believed to still be inside the Bayesian, according to the Italian coast guard.
Vincenzo Zagarola was asked about the likelihood of them being alive. He said: “Never say never, but reasonably the answer should be not.”
Speaking with the PA news agency, Mr Zagarola said this was because the yacht sank in just a few minutes and search and rescue teams are unable to find the missing bodies.
He said: “We think they are still inside the boat, that is our very hard idea. Our search and rescue activity by sea and air has gone on for around 36 hours. Of course, we do not exclude that they are not inside the boat, but we know the boat sank quickly. We suppose that the six people missing may not have had time to get out of the boat.”
The missing tourists are Mr Lynch; his daughter, Hannah Lynch; Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer; his wife, Judy Bloomer; Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo; and his wife, Neda Morvillo.
Six left unnacounted for as search enters critical 24 hours
Fifteen people managed to escape the tragic yacht before it capsized and the body of one person who died was swiftly recovered.
This leaves divers searching for the remaining six passengers unaccounted for – Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter, Morgan Stanley International non-executive chairman Jonathan Bloomer, Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo, and their two wives Judy and Neda.
Clifford Chance confirm its colleagues on the yacht
Law firm Clifford Chance has confirmed two of its colleagues were on the yacht when it sunk.
Christopher Morvillo, who is a partner at the firm’s US branch, along with his wife Neda are among the missing, a spokesperson confirmed to The Independent.
Ayla Ronald, together with her partner, “thankfully” survived the incident.
They both worked on Mike Lynch’s US fraud trial.
The full statement read: “We are in shock and deeply saddened by this tragic incident. Our thoughts are with our Partner, Christopher Morvillo, and his wife Neda who are among the missing. Our utmost priority is providing support to the family as well as our colleague Ayla Ronald, who together with her partner, thankfully survived the incident. Our thoughts extend to the other passengers and crew and all those affected. We have no further comment at this time. We, and the families, ask that their request for privacy is honoured during this period.”
Pictures of divers trying to reach wreck
“The fear is that the bodies got trapped inside the vessel,” which was lying 49 metres (160 feet) deep, Salvatore Cocina, head of civil protection in Sicily, said. This meant time beneath the waves was a limiting factor for the divers.
“The biggest difficulty we have is due to the depth, which does not allow long times of intervention,” fire department diver Marco Tilotta told reporters. “We plan … to search centimetre by centimetre.”
Now they enter a critical 24 hours according to Nick Sloane, a lead diver in the Costa Concordia wreck. He told Sky News that survivors might be trapped in air pockets inside the ship, but that time is running out fast to rescue them.
“They’ve got a very small window of time to try to find people stuck inside with hopefully an air pocket, and they could be rescued.
“If the yacht is on its side, it might have more air pockets than if it’s upright. She’s got quite a large keel, and that will deflect and put her on her side, I’m sure.”
British ambassador meets with survivors
The British ambassador to Italy has expressed his sympathy for the families involved in the yacht sinking off the coast of Sicily.
Speaking outside a nearby hotel where he met survivors, Ed Llewellyn said: “My heart goes out to them.”
He added: “I’ve spoken to some of the British survivors both yesterday and today — I want to express my deep sympathy from myself and colleagues at the British Embassy for what’s happened.
“We’re doing what we can to support them in this incredibly sad and difficult situation to help them with contacts from the Italian authorities at a practical level.”
Local fisherman claims to have seen a ‘tornado’
Local fisherman Giuseppe Cefalu has told the PA news agency through a translator that he saw a “tornado” close to the port of Porticello on Monday morning.
Mr Cefalu said he and his brother Fabio saw a flare in the sky at around 5am. The pair aided efforts to locate people in the water after the yacht sank, but Mr Cefalu said he only saw cushions and a buoy.
He said weather conditions on the morning of the sinking were “fierce”, with “very strong” wind and rain.
One-year-old saved by her mum ‘slept well’ last night
The one-year-old baby who was saved by her mother from the sinking Bayesian slept peacefully in hospital last night, local media has reported.
Charlotte Golunski, 38, a senior associate at Mike Lynch’s venture capital firm, said yesterday how she held her one-year-old daughter, Sofia, to stop her from drowning.
The Italian news agency Adnkronos has since reported that Sofia was kept in the Giovanni di Cristina Children’s Hospital, in Palermo, last night as a precaution.
Dr Domenico Cipolla, head of emergency department said: “She slept all night.”
Ms Golunski told la Repubblica yesterday: “It was all dark. In the water I couldn’t keep my eyes open. I screamed for help but all I could hear around me was the screams of others.”
Charity pays tribute to missing Judy Bloomer
Judy Bloomer, who is one of the six people missing and the wife of Jonathan Bloomer, has been called a “brilliant champion for women’s health.”
Athena Lamnisos, the CEO of the Eve Appeal, where Ms Bloomer has been a trustee for more than 20 years, said she is “deeply shocked to hear the news that our very dear friend and her husband Jonathan, are among those missing”.
The charity said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter: “Our thoughts are with Judy and Jonathan’s family, as well as all those who are still waiting for news after this tragic event.”
Lawyer’s wife among the missing
Lawyer Chris Morvillo’s wife, Neda, is also missing it has now been reported by The Associated Press.
Mr Morvillo represented Mike Lynch in his case and has previously worked on other high-profile cases such as the criminal investigation surrounding the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.
Morgan Stanley: ‘We are deeply shocked and saddened’
Morgan Stanley, an investment bank, whose chairman Jonathan Bloomer is still missing has issued a statement this morning.
The spokesperson said: “We are deeply shocked and saddened by this tragedy. Our thoughts are with all those affected, in particular the Bloomer family, as we all wait for further news from this terrible situation.”
Source: independent.co.uk
