Body of superyacht chef recovered – here’s who else was on board

The body found in the Bayesian superyacht search operation is that of chef Recaldo Thomas, the Italian coastguard has confirmed to Sky News.

Mr Thomas was one of the 22 people on board the superyacht that sank off the coast of Sicily in the early hours of Monday.

The British-flagged vessel named Bayesian was carrying 12 passengers and 10 members of crew when it got into difficulty at around 4.30am, the Italian coastguard said.

Six people are missing and another 15 were rescued. Here’s what we know about who was on board.

Follow latest on superyacht sinking: Captain speaks for first time

Mike Lynch

British technology tycoon Mike Lynch is missing following the sinking of the yacht, which his family are understood to own.

Raised in Ilford, east London by Irish parents, the 59-year-old made millions with the software company Autonomy he set up in 1996.

He has an estimated net worth of £852m, according to the 2023 Sunday Times Rich List.

Off the back of Automomy’s global success, Mr Lynch was given the roles of science adviser to former prime minister David Cameron and non-executive director of the BBC.

The Cambridge maths and sciences graduate sold the firm for £8.64bn to US giant Hewlett Packard (HP) in 2011.

Dubbed the “British Bill Gates”, Mr Lynch has been in the headlines in recent months over a high-profile fraud case related to the sale of Autonomy to HP in 2011.

HP accused him of deliberately overstating the value of the company before it was acquired by the American technology firm. Mr Lynch denied any wrongdoing.

In June, a US jury cleared him of all charges.

Read more:
Lynch’s co-defendant dies days before yacht disaster

Hannah Lynch

Mr Lynch’s 18-year-old daughter Hannah Lynch was also on board the yacht and is missing.

She was on holiday with her parents, having secured a place to study English at the University of Oxford, according to reports.

Her former school, Latymer Upper School in Hammersmith, west London, said they are “incredibly shocked by the news that Hannah and her father are among those missing in this tragic incident”.

Angela Bacares

Mr Lynch’s wife Angela Bacares was on board the yacht and was rescued. She confirmed to Italian media that her husband and daughter are missing.

The 57-year-old said she and Mr Lynch were awoken by the boat “tilting” at 4am – half an hour before it sank.

Jonathan Bloomer

Jonathan Bloomer, the chairman of investment bank Morgan Stanley International, was on board the yacht and is missing.

According to the Financial Times, Mr Bloomer appeared as a defence witness for Mr Lynch during his US criminal trial and the pair are believed to be good friends. He also chaired Autonomy’s audit committee.

The 70-year-old was the chief executive of UK-Hong Kong insurer Prudential until he was ousted by the board in 2005.

He is also chairman of the insurance provider Hiscox, which confirmed he is missing.

Judy Bloomer

Mr Bloomer’s wife Judy was also on board the yacht and is missing.

Hiscox said in its statement: “Our thoughts are with all those affected, in particular our chair, Jonathan Bloomer, and his wife Judy, who are among the missing.”

Mrs Bloomer is on the board of The Eve Appeal charity, which focuses on gynaecological cancers.

The charity described her as a “brilliant champion for women’s health and medical research… an incredible supporter, committee member, and trustee of our charity for over 20 years”.

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Recaldo Thomas

The yacht’s on-board chef Recaldo Thomas is the only person who is confirmed dead, the Italian Coastguard has confirmed to Sky News.

He was Canadian-Antiguan and part of the crew of the Bayesian.

The Palermo Port Authority had earlier told Canadian broadcaster CBC News his body had been recovered from the wreckage.

Chris Morvillo

US lawyer Chris Morvillo is missing from the yacht, his employers confirmed.

The father-of-two worked on Mr Lynch’s US fraud trial and is a partner of law firm Clifford Chance’s US branch.

Mr Morvillo was assistant attorney for the Southern District of New York between 1995 and 2005 and worked on the terrorist investigation into the 9/11 attacks.

In a recent LinkedIn post, he thanked the legal team that helped win Mr Lynch’s trial.

Signing off the post, he said: “And, finally, a huge thank you to my patient and incredible wife, Neda Morvillo, and my two strong, brilliant, and beautiful daughters, Sabrina Morvillo and Sophia Morvillo.

“None of this would have been possible without your love and support. I am so glad to be home. And they all lived happily ever after….”

Neda Morvillo

Mr Morvillo’s wife Neda was also on board the yacht and is unaccounted for.

The 57-year-old has a luxury jewellery brand, which she runs under her maiden name Neda Nassiri.

Her husband’s firm Clifford Chance said in a statement: “Our thoughts are with our partner, Christopher Morvillo, and his wife Neda who are among the missing.”

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Ayla Ronald

Ayla Ronald, a senior associate at Clifford Chance, survived the yacht disaster, the law firm confirmed.

The 36-year-old worked alongside Chris Morvillo in helping defend Mike Lynch in court.

Clifford Chance said in a statement: “Our utmost priority is providing support to the family as well as our colleague Ayla Ronald, who together with her partner, thankfully survived the incident.”

She is originally from Christchurch, New Zealand, but lives in London, her father told local media there.

He said she was left “very shaken” but “she and her partner are alive”.

Charlotte Golunski

Charlotte Golunski was on board the yacht and was rescued along with her one-year-old daughter, Sofia.

She spoke to Italian newspaper La Repubblica, confirming she survived the yacht sinking and told how she kept her daughter alive after she was rescued.

“I held her afloat with all my strength, my arms stretched upwards to keep her from drowning,” she said.

“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 35-year-old is a partner at one of Mr Lynch’s firms – Invoke Capital – and has worked there since 2012, according to her LinkedIn profile.

She also worked at Hewlett Packard, which acquired Autonomy in 2011, for 11 months.

Before that, she studied history at the University of Oxford.

James Emsley

Ms Golunski’s partner James Emsley was also rescued from the yacht, according to Sicily’s civil protection agency.

The 36-year-old is the father of her one-year-old daughter.

James Calfield

The 51-year-old captain of the yacht spoke to Italian newspaper La Repubblica after he was rescued.

Mr Calfield, from New Zealand, was taken for treatment at the Termini Imerese emergency unit, where he told the newspaper: “We didn’t see it coming.”

Leah Randall

Leah Randall was part of the Bayesian crew and survived the sinking.

She was pictured going ashore in Porticello on Monday morning and is from South Africa.

Her mother Heidi told Sky News said she was “beyond relieved that my daughter’s life was spared by the grace of God”.

“It doesn’t make it any easier living with the heartache of those who have lost their lives [or are] missing. My very deepest condolences to the chef’s family as they formed a great friendship,” she said.

Katja Chicken

Katja Chicken was another South African member of crew on board the Bayesian and was pictured being brought to safety in Porticello on Monday.

Leo Eppel

The Italian coastguard confirmed on Tuesday evening that Leo Eppel, a crew member, also survived the yacht sinking.