Mike Lynch, a tech magnate in the UK often compared to the British Bill Gates, is among those missing after a luxury yacht sank off the coast of Sicily during a severe storm. The 59-year-old founder of Autonomy Corporation is one of six individuals reported missing, according to The Guardian, while his wife, Angela Buckares, was rescued.
A spokesperson for the British Foreign Office stated, “We are in contact with local authorities following the incident in Sicily and are ready to provide consular assistance to affected British nationals.”
Rescue Operation Details
Fifteen people were rescued from the 56-meter yacht Bayesian, which sank off the coast of Sicily, by Italian coast guard patrols and rescuers. Among the survivors is a one-year-old child. So far, one body has been recovered from the wreck.
Lynch’s Recent Legal Issues
Lynch, known as the “British Bill Gates,” recently made headlines due to a high-profile fraud case. According to Sky News, in June, he was cleared of all charges related to the sale of Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard in 2011 by a U.S. court. He had been extradited to the U.S. to face trial last May and spent 13 months under house arrest in San Francisco while awaiting trial on 17 counts of conspiracy and fraud, which were later reduced to 15 charges, filed by the U.S. Department of Justice. He was acquitted along with former finance executive Stephen Chamberlain, who faced similar charges.
Lynch was accused by HP of deliberately inflating Autonomy’s value before its acquisition by the American technology company, a claim he denied.
Eyewitness Account of the Sinking
Captain Karsten Börner, whose ship was near the ill-fated yacht and helped rescue the 15 people, described the conditions under which the yacht sank. Börner stated that his vessel was also hit by strong gusts during the storm early in the morning but managed to stabilize while anchored using its engine.
He noted that they observed the out-of-control yacht approaching dangerously and maneuvered to avoid it: “We managed to keep our ship in place, and once the storm passed, we noticed that the yacht behind us was missing.”
Börner later reported seeing a flare in the water and proceeded to the location where they found a liferaft drifting. He said they discovered the 15 individuals, including a baby, in the raft.
Four people were injured, three seriously, according to Börner. He added that they contacted the coast guard, who retrieved the survivors and the injured. Börner described that his vessel also listed while the yacht “tilted on its side and then sank.”
