Tributes paid to Mike Lynch and daughter Hannah after deaths in yacht sinking

Friends have paid tribute to the “brilliant” Mike Lynch and his “fiercely intelligent” 18-year-old daughter after the pair were confirmed to have died in a luxury yacht sinking.

Mr Lynch and his daughter Hannah were among seven people who died after the Bayesian sank off the coast of Sicily early on Monday morning.

The tech mogul, 59, was the creator of software giant Autonomy and had been cleared in June of carrying out a massive fraud related to its 11 billion dollar (£8.64 billion) sale to US company Hewlett Packard.

Close friend and colleague Andrew Kanter described Mr Lynch as “instantly inspiring” and said “he will be sorely missed”.

In the tribute, one of six released on Friday through PR firm Tancredi, Mr Kanter said: “Mike was the most brilliant mind and caring person I have ever known.

“Over nearly a quarter century I had the privilege of working beside someone unrivalled in their understanding of technology and business.

“There is simply no other UK technology entrepreneur of our generation who has had such an impact on so many people.

“His passion for life, knowledge and all those around him was instantly inspiring to everyone he met, and he will be sorely missed.”

Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer, his wife Judy Bloomer, Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda Morvillo were also confirmed to have died after the sinking.

Sushovan Hussain, a close friend of Mr Lynch and former chief financial officer of Autonomy, said he was “utterly devastated” over the “tragic” incident.

“My wife and I are utterly devastated by the deaths of so many of our dear friends. No words can express our sorrow,” he said.

“I have known Mike for over 40 years, since our school days, and for most of that time our lives have been inextricably linked.

“I was thrilled when he was acquitted and now his departure leaves an unfillable hole in my life.

“We have known Hannah since her birth, and for her to be taken on the precipice of her life is cruel beyond belief. Our hearts bleed for Angela & her remaining daughter.

Mr Hussain also paid tribute to Stephen Chamberlain, Mr Lynch’s co-defendant in the US fraud trial, who died after he was hit by a car on Saturday.

He said: “Steve was by my side for many years, and I had the honour of calling him, Jonathan, Judy and Chris my good friends.

“It is truly impossible to fathom how they can all be gone over such a short period. It is tragic beyond words.”

Mr Lynch’s 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, had recently finished her A-levels and was due to study at Oxford University.

Jon Mitropoulos-Monk, head of English at Latymer Upper School in Hammersmith, said of his former pupil: “I’ve never taught someone who combined sky-high intellectual ability with warmth and enthusiasm in the way Hannah did.

“She lit up the classroom with her energy, passion for learning and sheer intelligence (though never with a hint of arrogance).”

“I will remember her for what she taught me: kindness, compassion and commitment,” he added.

Her friend Katya Lewis also paid tribute to Hannah, saying: “Being with Hannah made me feel whole and happy.

“She had a warm and beautiful soul.

“She is the most special friend anyone could ask for and I will always love Hannah.”

Patrick Jacob, a family friend, said the teenager was “charming and ferociously intelligent with an insatiable thirst for life and knowledge”.

“We have lost one of our brightest stars whose future held so much promise,” he added.

“Her loss is unbearable.”

Gracie Lea, a school classmate, added that the 18-year-old was “sincere, dedicated, fiercely intelligent and genuinely kind”.

The Bayesian was moored around half a mile off the coast of Porticello when it sank as the area was hit by a storm.

The wreckage of the Bayesian is resting on the seabed off the coast at a depth of 50 metres (164ft).

A helicopter, remotely controlled underwater vehicles, naval units and cave divers have been used in the search.

The final body, believed to be that of Mr Lynch’s daughter, was recovered on Friday.