What we know about Bayesian yacht tragedy as body of Mike Lynch’s daughter Hannah found

The sixth and final person missing after the luxury Bayesian superyacht owned by the family of British tech tycoon Mike Lynch sank in a storm off the coast of Sicily has been found.

Rescue teams had resumed their search on Friday for the body of Lynch's 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, the only person who had been unaccounted for following the tragic incident.

In a statement, the family of Mr Lynch and Hannah said: “The Lynch family is devastated, in shock and is being comforted and supported by family and friends.

“Their thoughts are with everyone affected by the tragedy. They would like to sincerely thank the Italian coastguard, emergency services and all those who helped in the rescue. Their one request now is that their privacy be respected at this time of unspeakable grief.”

On Friday, it was reported that prosecutors will investigate possible manslaughter charges.

The British-flagged vessel was carrying 22 people when it was hit by a heavy storm that sank the luxury yacht. Seven people were killed - Lynch and his daughter, Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer, his wife Judy Bloomer, Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo, his wife Neda Morvillo, and the yacht's chef, Recaldo Thomas.

It is still not known why the yacht sank but on Thursday Giovanni Costantino, CEO of The Italian Sea Group, which owns Perini Navi - the company who built the Bayesian - blamed a "very long list of errors".

He told Italian media its sinking was due to a chain of human errors given that the storm was expected. Had the crew shut all doors and hatches, turned on the engine, lifted the anchor, lowered the keel and turned the yacht to face the wind, they would have suffered "zero damage", the CEO said, adding that the incoming storm should not have been ignored.

A judicial investigation has been opened into the sinking, which has baffled naval marine experts who say a boat like the Bayesian, built by Italian high-end yacht manufacturer Perini, should have withstood the storm.

According to the Guardian, the Italian news outlet Adnkronos reported that the public prosecutor will investigate charges of shipwreck, disaster and multiple homicides, which would be similar to UK manslaughter charges.

The yacht's captain James Cutfield, his eight surviving crew members and passengers have been questioned by police, but have not made public comments. Investigating prosecutors are due to hold a press conference on Saturday.

Read a full breakdown of the key updates or click below to skip to each section

> What happened to the Bayesian?

> What we still don't know

> Who was on board?

What happened to the Bayesian?

The British-flagged vessel was carrying 22 people – 12 passengers and 10 crew – when it was hit by a heavy storm that created waterspouts – rotating columns of wind over a body of water that are often likened to tornadoes.

It was anchored to the seabed near the harbour of the small fishing village of Porticello, to the east of Palermo, when the storm struck and caused the boat to sink at around 5am local time.

Karsten Borner, skipper of a boat that had been moored alongside the Bayesian, said the yacht flipped on its side soon after the storm hit and sank within two minutes.

However, citing data from the yacht's automatic tracking system and based on available footage, Costantino said it took 16 minutes from when the wind began buffeting the yacht, and it began taking on water, for it to sink.

• Read more: What we know about the Bayesian superyacht that sank(Sky News)

What we don't know

While the yacht sank following the onslaught of a heavy storm, questions still remain as to why it sank - particularly in the space of just 16 minutes. The boat was anchored only around half a mile from shore and other vessels in the area emerged relatively unscathed.

It is thought the vessel was hit by a waterspout, a rotating column of wind that forms over a body of water and is often likened to a tornado, which some experts believe could have been caused by global warming.

Luca Mercalli, president of Italy's meteorological society, said the sea surface temperature around Sicily in the days leading up to Bayesian’s sinking was about 30C - almost 3C more than normal. He told Reuters: “This creates an enormous source of energy that contributes to these storms.”

Another theory is that the vessel filled with water because of hatches or windows being left open as a result of the high temperatures.

Sailing expert Sam Jefferson, editor of magazine Sailing Today, said: “I would have said that the boat got hit very hard by the wind, it was pinned over on its side. I imagine all the doors were open because it was hot, so there were enough hatches and doors open that it filled with water very quickly and sank like that."

Another theory is that the vessel's very long 72m-long mast contributed to its sinking. While initial reports indicated it may have snapped, it now appears to have remained intact.

The Bayesian also had a retractable keel - a stabilising structure under the hull which can be partially lifted to reduce the depth of the ship when entering shallow waters or harbours. Some experts have wondered if the yacht had been anchored with the keel up, compromising its stability in such a violent storm.

Giovanni Costantino, CEO of The Italian Sea Group TISGR.MI, which owns Perini, told Reuters the shipwreck was the result of a string of "indescribable, unreasonable errors" made by the crew, and ruled out any design or construction failings.

Pulling the wreck out of the sea, where it is now lying on its right side, apparently intact, may help investigators determine what happened, but the operation is likely to be complex and costly.

Who was on board?

Mike and Hannah Lynch

Once described as "Britain's Bill Gates", the 59-year-old technology tycoon, born in Ilford, Essex, to Irish parents, founded software giant Autonomy in 1996, later selling it to US company Hewlett Packard for £8.6bn in 2011. He went on trial this year in San Francisco over a fraud charges related to the sale, but was found not guilty on all counts. His 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, is also missing.

Following the news of his death, technology industry group TechUK paid tribute to Lynch, describing him as a "hugely significant and pioneering figure in the UK technology sector".

While the chief executive of legal AI company Luminance, which was founded by Lynch, described him as a "visionary unlike any other".

Hannah, the youngest of two siblings, was a former pupil of Latymer Upper School. The school said in a statement: “We are all incredibly shocked by the news that Hannah and her father are among those missing in this tragic incident and our thoughts are with their family and everyone involved as we await further updates.”

According to the Times, Hannah had finished her A-levels and had been offered a place at the University of Oxford.

Jonathan and Judy Bloomer

Jonathan Bloomer, 70, chairman of Morgan Stanley Bank International and insurance company Hiscox, was also on board along with his wife, Judy, who was called a "brilliant champion for women's health" by gynaecological cancer research charity the Eve Appeal, where she has been a trustee for more than 20 years. Jonathan Bloomer was made chairman of Morgan Stanley International in 2018, and last year was named chairman of the Hiscox international insurance group.

Chris and Neda Morvillo

A US partner at law firm Clifford Chance, Morvillo worked on the case that saw Lynch cleared of fraud. He was on board the yacht with his wife, Neda, an American jewellery designer.

Their families released a statement paying tribute to the pair, saying they were "completely devastated" as they try to come to terms with the "tremendous loss".

"Our collective hearts go out to all the families who have also been affected by this senseless tragedy," said the statement, reported by Sky News.

Recaldo Thomas

The body of the Canadian-Antiguan chef who was working on the ship was recovered on Monday. Gareth Williams, a friend of 30 years who grew up with Thomas, told the BBC: "I can talk for everyone that knew him when I say he was a well-loved, kind human being with a calm spirit."

The Survivors

Angela Bacares

The 57-year-old wife of Lynch was said to be left in a "state of shock and sadness" and recovering in a wheelchair after injuries she sustained walking on broken glass while escaping the yacht. 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

Briton Charlotte Golunski, a partner at Invoke Capital, founded by Lynch, was with her husband James Emsley and their one-year-old daughter, Sofia, whose life she saved.

Golunski said they survived because they were on deck when the yacht started to sink.

She told La Repubblica: "For two seconds I lost my daughter in the sea then quickly hugged her amid the fury of the waves. I held her afloat with all my strength, my arms stretched upwards to keep her from drowning."

Ayla Ronald

A senior associate at law firm Clifford Chance, New Zealand lawyer Ronald, 36, worked on Lynch's acquittal. Clifford Chance confirmed the day after the accident that Ronald and her partner Matthew Fletcher had been rescued from the superyacht.

James Cutfield

The captain of the Bayesian - James Cutfield, 51, from New Zealand - told an Italian newspaper in the aftermath of the storm: “We didn’t see it coming.”

The captain’s brother, Mark Cutfield, told MailOnline that he was a “very good sailor” and that his injuries were not “too dramatic”.

Other survivors

A number of people thought to have been rescued have been named, including Sasha Murray, 29, from Ireland; Myin Htun Kyaw, 39, who has a Burmese passport, and Matthew Griffith. Other survivors include Leo Eppel and South African nationals Leah Randall and Katja Chicken, who worked as crew members on the Bayesian and were named by the Italian coastguard.

• Read more: ‘I held her afloat with all my strength’: British mother saves baby from drowning on superyacht(The Telegraph)