Jonathan Bloomer of Morgan Stanley is missing after a yacht owned by tech billionaire Mike Lynch sank off Sicily. Rescuers search for the missing as investigations continue.
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Jonathan Bloomer, chairman of Morgan Stanley International, is missing after a superyacht sank off the coast of Italy. The luxury yacht, called Bayesian, belonged to tech billionaire Mike Lynch. Known as the 'British Bill Gates,' Lynch was on board with 22 others, including British, American, and Canadian citizens.
The accident happened around 5 a.m. local time on Monday near Sicily during a powerful storm. The yacht, carrying 10 crew members and 12 passengers, sank about 765 yards from Porticello, southwest of Palermo. The storm caused the yacht’s anchor to fail, breaking the mast and making the boat unstable.
Rescuers began searching for the missing people at 6:30 a.m. today. The wreckage is now about 54 yards underwater. Some of those rescued include Sasha Murray from Ireland, Matthew Griffith from France (the boat’s captain), James Caulfield from New Zealand, Ayla Ronald from London, and Myin Kyaw Htun from Myanmar.
British investigators are heading to Palermo to assist with the search and rescue efforts. They were sent by the UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch.
This tragedy comes after Lynch was recently cleared of fraud related to the sale of his software company, Autonomy, to Hewlett-Packard. Lynch’s co-defendant, Stephen Chamberlain, was also in the news. Chamberlain died tragically in a car accident while jogging in Cambridgeshire. His lawyer praised him as a man of great honesty and integrity, mourning his loss deeply.
What We Know About the Bayesian Superyacht
[The Bayesian sank near Palermo, Italy, on Monday, according to the Perini Navi Press Office. Photo: Perini Navi Press Office]
The Bayesian, a British-registered superyacht, sank on Monday morning with 22 people on board, according to the Italian coastguard. The 56-meter (184-foot) luxury sailboat now rests on the sea floor, 49 meters underwater.
Built by Italian shipbuilder Perini in 2008, the Bayesian was last refitted in 2020. It features a 75-meter mast, the tallest aluminum mast in the world. The yacht was owned by Revtom Limited, a company where Mike Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, is listed as the sole shareholder. The name "Bayesian" likely appealed to Lynch because his PhD thesis and successful software were based on Bayesian theory.
The yacht could host up to 12 guests in six suites and had space for a crew of 10. It won several awards for its design. The boat left Milazzo in Sicily on August 14 and was last seen east of Palermo on Sunday evening, anchored, according to vessel tracking app Vesselfinder.
Challenges in the Rescue Effort
Italian firefighters have faced difficulties accessing the wreck. The boat’s position and debris have made it hard for them to reach critical parts of the wreck. The fire brigade, Vigili del Fuoco, reported that early attempts to inspect the wreck were hampered by limited access.
Britain’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch has sent four inspectors to Palermo to help. They will do a basic assessment but will not launch a full investigation at this time.
Who Are the Missing?
Six people are still missing after the sinking. Among them are British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his teenage daughter.
[Mike Lynch. Photo: Simon Dawson/Bloomberg/Getty Images]
Jonathan Bloomer, chairman of Morgan Stanley International Bank, and Chris Morvillo, a lawyer from Clifford Chance, are also unaccounted for. Reports suggest Bloomer’s wife and Morvillo’s wife are missing too.
A body, believed to be the yacht’s cook, was found by search teams on Monday. According to Italian news, four of the missing are British and two are American.
