UK Tech Entrepreneur Mike Lynch Among Missing After Sicily Yacht Sinks in Storm

British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, 59, is among those missing after a superyacht carrying 22 people sank off the coast of Sicily during a violent storm. Lynch, best known as the founder of Autonomy Corporation, was reportedly aboard the yacht with his 18-year-old daughter, who is also among the missing. His wife, Angela Bacares, was rescued, according to sources familiar with the situation.

The tragedy has left four Britons, two Americans, and one Canadian unaccounted for. One body has been recovered, while 15 people, including a one-year-old child, were rescued by Italian coastguards and firefighters. The luxury 56-meter yacht, named Bayesian, was struck by the storm near Porticello, east of Palermo, in the early hours of Monday.

Lynch, a prominent figure in the UK tech industry, co-founded Autonomy in the mid-90s, which became a major player in the software sector. He was awarded an OBE in 2006 and was a fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Royal Society. Lynch was recently cleared of fraud charges related to the 2011 sale of Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard.

The yacht, built by Italian shipbuilder Perini in 2008, had been anchored off Sicily after leaving the port of Milazzo on August 14. Local media reported that a waterspout, resembling a mini-tornado, may have struck the vessel, leading to its sinking. Rescue efforts are ongoing as divers attempt to reach the sunken hull, which lies at a depth of 49 meters.