Who were the victims of the Bayesian superyacht that sunk off the coast of Sicily?
Four of the people who died when the Bayesian superyacht sank off the coast of Sicily last month suffocated in air bubbles as oxygen ran out, according to Italian media.
The Bayesian, a 56-metre-long (184-ft) boat belonging to entrepreneur Mike Lynch, was carrying 22 people and was anchored off the port of Porticello, near Palermo, Sicily, when it capsized during a fierce storm.
Lynch, his daughter Hannah, Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer, his wife Judy Bloomer, Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda Morvillo were lost when the yacht was hit by a storm and sank at around 5am on 19 August.
Post-mortems carried out on Jonathan and Judy Bloomer and Chris and Neda Morvill have now suggested that all four suffocated rather than drowned due to a lack of water in their lungs, according to La Repubblica. The paper also reported that they were found on the left side of cabins – suggesting to investigators that they were looking for pockets of air as the vessel tilted rightwards after sinking.
The remaining post-mortems will reportedly be carried out on Friday.
The vessel was carrying 10 crew members and 12 passengers when it capsized off the coast of Sicily. In total 15 people survived
Here, Yahoo UK runs through a list of those on board the boat.
The victims
Mike and Hannah Lynch
The technology tycoon, who founded software giant Autonomy in 1996, was one of four missing British passengers who was trapped on board as the Bayesian sank.
He was cleared in June of conducting a massive fraud relating to an $11 billion (£8.64bn) sale to US company Hewlett Packard. The boat trip was a celebration of his acquittal.
Mr Lynch was made an OBE for services to enterprise in 2006.
His daughter, Hannah, was confirmed by Sicily’s civil protection agency to also have been among those on board. She was the last body to be found during the search.
The technology industry group TechUK described Mr Lynch as “a hugely significant and pioneering figure in the UK technology sector”.
Jonathan and Judy Bloomer
The Morgan Stanley International bank chairman was a prominent businessman who held a number of boardroom roles after an extensive career in financial services.
He was the chief executive of global finance group Prudential between 2000 and 2005, and was chairman of Morgan Stanley International as well as Hiscox and property business SDL.
Mr Bloomer was among those to give evidence as a defence witness for Mr Lynch, and media reports suggest the pair are close friends.
His wife Judy worked as a psychotherapist for nearly 30 years, specialising in anxiety and stress.
In a statement confirming their parents’ deaths, the Bloomer family described the couple as “incredible people and an inspiration to many”.
Christopher and Neda Morvillo
Mr Morvillo, 59, a partner at law firm Clifford Chance, represented Mr Lynch during the long-running criminal fraud trial where he was eventually cleared of all charges.
His long career included representing corporate and individual clients in white-collar government investigations, related regulatory and civil proceedings, and internal investigations.
Mr Morvillo had previously been a federal prosecutor, working on cases related to the 9/11 attacks and securing the conviction of lawyer Lynne Stewart for assisting terrorism during his time as assistant US attorney for the Southern District of New York between 1999 and 2005.
A Clifford Chance spokesperson said: “We are heartbroken at the tragic passing of our partner, Christopher Morvillo and his wife, Neda.
Recaldo Thomas
The first body recovered from close to where the luxury yacht sank was that of Antiguan-Canadian chef Recaldo Thomas.
Gareth Williams, who lives in Antigua and said he knew Thomas for three decades, told the BBC: "He was a well-loved, kind human being with a calm spirit. He would come over to mine over the weekend and he would sing. He had the deepest, most sultry voice in the world, and a smile that lit up the room."
Rescued
Angela Bacares
Mr Lynch’s wife was among the 15 people rescued after escaping on to a lifeboat. She said in the aftermath of the incident that she and her husband had been awoken after the boat made a "slight tilt".
Charlotte Golunski
Ms Golunski, who was rescued after the yacht sank, told la Repubblica she held her one-year-old daughter, Sofia, to stop her from drowning.
The Briton said: “I held her afloat with all my strength, my arms stretched upwards to keep her from drowning.
“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.”
James Emsley
The British husband of Charlotte Golunski was rescued.
Sofia Emsley
The baby daughter of Charlotte and James was rescued.
All three family members were taken to hospital for treatment.
Ayla Ronald
Ms Ronald, a lawyer working for Clifford Chance, was rescued after the yacht sank along with her partner, the law firm said on Tuesday.
Sasha Murray
The 29-year-old Irish national was rescued.
Leo Eppel
The crew member was confirmed to have survived by Italian Coastguard spokesman Vincenzo Zagarola.
Myin Htun Kyaw
The 39-year-old, who had a Burmese passport, was among those rescued, according to local media.
Matthew Griffith
Local media reported that Mr Griffith, who was a French citizen, had been rescued.
James Calfield
The 51-year-old New Zealand national, who according to some reports is the ship’s captain, was rescued after the yacht sank, according to local media.
Matthew Fletcher
According to local media, the British national was another person thought to have been rescued.
Leah Randall
South African crew member Ms Randall was rescued after the sinking, the Italian Coastguard confirmed.
Katja Chicken
The coastguard confirmed Ms Chicken, another South African crew member, also survived the sinking.
Tus Koopmans
The Daily Mail reported Mr Koopmans was one of the crew members who survived the sinking.
A Dutch foreign ministry spokesperson said a Dutch man had been rescued and was not in a life-threatening condition.
Eaton Parker
Mr Parker was another crew member to be rescued, the Daily Mail reported.
