Inside the doomed superyacht party that ended in tragedy: How British tech tycoon Mike Lynch gathered family for an exorbitant celebration on his vessel to toast his high stakes fraud acquittal before freak ‘whirlwind’ caused it to sink

What was supposed to be a lavish celebration to commemorate Mike Lynch’s acquittal in fraud charges ended in tragedy when his superyacht was caught in a freak waterspout.

The luxury yacht was moored off the coast of Porticello, near Palermo, when a ‘whirlwind’ hit at around 5am this morning, destroying the boat and quickly sinking beneath the waves.

The yacht was visible to surrounding ships before suddenly disappearing, killing one person and leaving six missing.

Fifteen of the 22 passengers were rescued by the Dutch sailing ship Sir Robert BP, which was lying in front of the yacht.

British tech magnate Lynch is said to have invited his family and friends onto the sailboat to celebrate allegations of fraud and conspiracy, after he was accused of inflating the value of a company before selling it.

He had gathered guests from law firm Clifford Chance and his own company Invoke Capital after he was acquitted in June.

Lawyer Ayla Ronald, 36, (pictured), who was part of the successful legal team invited to sail with Lynch, is one of the survivors

The luxury sailing ship, the Bayesian (pictured), was moored off the coast of Porticello, near Palermo, when a waterspout hit the area just before 5am.

One of the survivors is Ayla Ronald, 36, a lawyer at Clifford Chance, who was part of the successful legal team invited to sail with Lynch, according to her father Lin.

Mr. Ronald told The Telegraph: ‘I have been texting my daughter and she has not given me any updates on missing or rescued staff. She has only told me that there have been casualties and that she and her partner are alive.’

Speaking about the festivities, a witness told the Italian news agency ANSA: “A beautiful ship where there had been a party. A normal holiday spent happily at sea turned into a tragedy.”

The body of Canadian Ricardo Thomas, who worked as a cook on the boat and was the only crew member missing, was found floating next to the vessel earlier today.

As a desperate search continues for six missing people, including British and American tourists, MailOnline investigates how the tragedy unfolded.

The storm that strikes

The superyacht was lit up and lighting up the night sky when suddenly a jet of water appeared close to the boat.

According to witnesses, the yacht became entangled in the water jet just before 5 a.m. and then suddenly disappeared.

The superyacht was moored off the coast of Porticello, near Palermo, when a ‘whirlwind’ swept across the area at 5am this morning

The Bayesian, formerly known as the Salute, was a 56-metre long ship built in 2008 in Viareggio, Tuscany, by the luxury shipbuilder Perini Navi

The new interior was modeled on a Japanese style

The yacht goes under

Witnesses describe the moment the yacht sank as very sudden, as if the yacht simply disappeared.

Someone said, “The boat was all lit up. By 4:30 it was gone.”

‘A beautiful boat where there was a party. A normal, happy holiday at sea turned into a tragedy.’

Meanwhile, the captain of the Dutch vessel that rescued 15 of the 22 people aboard the yacht also claimed that the boat had disappeared.

Captain Karsten Borner told the BBC: ‘When the storm passed, we noticed that the ship had disappeared behind us.’

He added: ‘With a light we saw that the ship was inside [the water]and then we saw a triangle. So I think she went back. Horrible. Horrible moment.’

A handout photo provided by the Perini Navi Press Office on August 19, 2024 shows the ‘Bayesian’ sailboat in Palermo, Sicily, Italy

Captain Karsten Borner told the BBC: ‘When the storm passed, we noticed that the ship had disappeared behind us’

Passengers rescued

Fifteen of the 22 passengers – including British and American tourists – were rescued by Captain Borner’s Dutch ship.

Once the storm had passed, Borner and his friend saw a flare in the water and went for it.

There they found the lifeboat containing the people who had fled, including a one-year-old baby and mother Charlotte Golunski.

The mother, who survived the shipwreck, said she held her baby aloft to save her from drowning.

Among the six people still missing are British billionaire tech magnate Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter.

Seek salvation

Cave divers arrive to take part in the rescue operation in Palermo, Sicily, on August 19

Experienced deep-sea cave divers arrive at the pier as the rescue operation continues for the missing people aboard a sailboat that sank, in Palermo, Sicily, Italy, August 19.

Mr Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares (right), was one of 15 people rescued from the yacht

Survivor of the Sicilian yacht that sank Charlotte Golunski, who fought to save her baby in the storm

A large-scale search operation is still underway today to find the six missing persons.

Tragically, earlier today the body of a man, believed to be a Canadian citizen who worked as a cook on the boat, was found floating alongside the vessel.

There are fears that those still missing are trapped in their cabins. According to Italian media, divers reported earlier that they saw “bodies through the portholes” of the yacht.