Work to salvage a superyacht that sank off the coast of Sicily last year, resulting in the tragic deaths of a U.K. tech mogul and six others, was halted on Saturday following the loss of a specialized diver, as reported by local news outlets. The diver was part of a team attempting to raise the 185-foot “Bayesian” yacht, which had been struck by a sudden storm in August while anchored near Palermo. The vessel rapidly sank after being hit by what was described as a mini-tornado, claiming the lives of British tech tycoon Mike Lynch, his daughter, and four other individuals, including prominent figures such as Jonathan Bloomer, Judy Bloomer, Chris Morvillo, Neda Morvillo, and Recaldo Thomas, the chef onboard.
Fifteen individuals managed to escape on a lifeboat, including Lynch’s wife and a one-year-old child. The salvage operation was suspended after a 39-year-old diver tragically lost his life, prompting an investigation by Italian authorities. Initial reports indicate that the diver was part of a team working to dismantle the yacht’s mast, a critical step before the vessel could be lifted from its current position on the seabed, approximately 50 meters below the surface.
TMC Marine, the British company responsible for the salvage efforts, has not yet provided further details regarding the incident. In a statement, the company stated its willingness to cooperate with the investigation. Salvage operations commenced last week, with an estimated duration of up to 25 days. Meanwhile, inquests for the British victims are ongoing in Ipswich, England, while prosecutors in Termini Imerese, Italy, have launched inquiries into the captain and three others on potential charges of manslaughter and negligence related to the shipwreck.
Mike Lynch, the visionary behind Autonomy Corp., had invited loved ones aboard the ill-fated yacht to mark his exoneration in a high-profile U.S. legal case. Lynch, known as “Britain’s Bill Gates,” achieved success in the tech sector with Autonomy’s groundbreaking software, which revolutionized data retrieval for businesses. Despite facing tumultuous times following the company’s acquisition by Hewlett-Packard, Lynch ultimately emerged victorious in a protracted legal battle, culminating in a not-guilty verdict in 2024.
After earning a PhD in mathematical computing from Cambridge University in the U.K., Lynch went on to co-found Cambridge Neurodynamics, a company focused on pattern recognition technology. The firm utilized this technology for tasks such as matching fingerprints and car license plates, as reported in a 1997 article in The Guardian. Lynch later co-founded Autonomy in 1996, which leveraged a statistical model known as Bayesian inference, named after the 18th century statistician Thomas Bayes. The company addressed the increasing demand from businesses to sift through vast amounts of data generated by the rise of computers and digital documents. Autonomy experienced steady growth in its first decade, leading to Lynch being honored with the Order of the British Empire in 2006. Lynch shared in a 1997 interview with The Guardian that some individuals doubted the potential for a successful tech business to emerge from the U.K., citing the misconception that England was primarily known for producing bone china.
