Search continues for British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and daughter after yacht sinks in Sicily tornado

British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter are among six tourists missing after a luxury yacht sank in a tornado off the coast of Italy.

One person has been confirmed dead – believed to be the vessel’s cook – while four of the missing passengers are British and two are American, according to Italian newspaper la Repubblica.

The British-flagged yacht, called Bayesian, had 10 crew and 12 passengers on board and sank at about 5am local time off the coast of Palermo.

Salvo Cocina of Sicily’s civil protection agency said: “They were in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

He added Jonathan Bloomer, chairman of Morgan Stanley International, and Chris Morvillo, a lawyer at major firm Clifford Chance, are among the missing.

Mr Lynch‘s daughter, Hannah Lynch, also remains unaccounted for but his wife, Angela Bacares, was rescued along with 14 others – including a mother who held her one-year-old baby above the waves.

Charlotte Golunski, 35, told la Repubblica she lost her baby Sofia for “two seconds”, adding: “I held her afloat with all my strength, my arms stretched upwards to keep her from drowning.

“It was all dark. In the water I couldn’t keep my eyes open. I screamed for help but all I could hear around me was the screams of others.”

The girl’s father James Emsley also survived, Mr Cocina said. According to her LinkedIn profile, Ms Golunski is a partner at Mr Lynch’s firm, called Invoke Capital.

Mr Lynch, described as the British Bill Gates, was cleared earlier this year of conducting a massive fraud over the sale of software company Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard (HP) in 2011.

His co-defendant in that trial, Stephen Chamberlain, was separately confirmed dead after he was hit by a car on Saturday.

Eyewitness: Dozens watch search teams as they work in the dark

It’s nearly midnight in Porticello – a quaint fishing village popular with tourists and Sicilian locals looking for a weekend away.

Here it is not unusual to see people including young children gathered on a small plinth overlooking the harbourside.

But tonight they’re not admiring the calm waters or the full moon above – instead their eyes are trained on the scene two giant floodlights illuminate.

Three fire and rescue trucks and a big white tent can be seen – the hub of the makeshift emergency rescue operation here.

About 100 metres from the tent is where a coastguard vessel with blue flashing lights circles the water with cave divers on board.

It’s combing the area where they know the yacht stood only hours ago. It’s careful work for the divers with only moonlight and the glow of the festoon lights on the harbour front aiding their work on the surface.

Back on the harbour and people in blue uniforms rush in and out of the white tent. Some of the 30 or so onlookers here tell us about last night’s storm.

They say it was relentless and unforgiving and describe the wind pounding at their hotel and apartment windows. One woman described it as “scary” inside her house, let alone on a lonely vessel moored off the coast.

They watch now as recovery efforts ramp up with extra teams coming ashore to aid the meticulous work – it’ll continue long into the night.

As the hours tick by without news, the more likely this turns into a recovery mission.

Gary Lincenberg, his lawyer, said in a statement: “Our dear client and friend Steve Chamberlain was fatally struck by a car on Saturday while out running.

“He was a courageous man with unparalleled integrity. We deeply miss him.

“Steve fought successfully to clear his good name at trial earlier this year, and his good name now lives on through his wonderful family.”

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch said four of its inspectors are being deployed to Palermo for a preliminary assessment, while cave divers have joined the ongoing search.

The hull of the ship is resting at a depth of 50 metres.

A spokesman for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said: “We are in contact with the local authorities following an incident in Sicily, and stand ready to provide consular support to British nationals affected.”