A search and rescue operation is underway after a superyacht sank off the coast of Sicily in a sudden storm, leaving British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch and five others missing. Lynch, 59, was on board the luxury vessel with colleagues and family members, including his daughter Hannah, who is also missing.
Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, was among the 15 people rescued. The Italian coastguard is using specialist divers, helicopters, and patrol boats to search for the missing individuals.
Lynch, once dubbed the British “Bill Gates,” is a former advisor to two British prime ministers and founded the software firm Autonomy, which he sold to Hewlett-Packard for $11 billion in 2011. He was recently acquitted of fraud charges in the US related to the sale of Autonomy.
The search operation is ongoing, with concerns growing for the safety of those missing.