Body of Mike Lynch’s Daughter Recovered as Manslaughter Investigation Begins in Yacht Tragedy

The body believed to be that of Hannah Lynch, the 18-year-old daughter of British tech tycoon Mike Lynch, has been recovered from the wreckage of the Bayesian superyacht, five days after the vessel sank off the coast of Sicily.

The discovery marks the end of a lengthy search operation by Italian authorities, which began after the yacht capsized during a violent storm early Monday morning.

The sinking claimed the lives of seven people, including Mike Lynch himself, who was celebrating his recent acquittal on fraud charges in the United States.

The Bayesian, a 56-meter luxury yacht, sank near the coastal town of Porticello, leaving only a few survivors. Among the deceased were prominent figures such as Jonathan Bloomer, the chair of Morgan Stanley International, and his wife, Judy, along with the yacht’s chef and a lawyer from Clifford Chance.

Italian prosecutors have now launched a manslaughter investigation to determine the causes behind the disaster.

According to local reports, the Prosecutor’s Office of Termini Imerese is looking into potential charges of shipwreck, disaster, and multiple counts of culpable homicide, which are equivalent to manslaughter charges in the UK. The specific charge of causing a shipwreck can carry a prison sentence of up to 12 years.

Initial findings suggest that the yacht may have sunk bow-first before capsizing onto its side. The victims were found outside their cabins, indicating they had tried to escape as the yacht went down.

The challenging search operation for Hannah Lynch was likened to navigating an “18-storey building full of water,” as debris and furniture obstructed the passageways, complicating rescue efforts.

The recovery of the final body has brought some closure to the families of the victims, but the ongoing investigation aims to uncover what led to the tragic incident. As authorities delve deeper into the circumstances surrounding the yacht’s sinking, they are considering whether negligence or other factors played a role in the catastrophe.