Tragic Yacht Sinking Off Sicily Leaves Six Missing, Including British Tech Magnate

A British tech magnate is among six people missing after a superyacht, the Bayesian, sank in deep waters off Sicily. The vessel, struck by a waterspout, was on an outing celebrating the mogul's acquittal on fraud charges. Fifteen people survived, but recovery efforts are hampered by the yacht's depth.

Police divers resumed searching Tuesday for six people believed trapped in the hull of a superyacht that sank in deep seas off Sicily, including a British tech magnate who was celebrating his recent acquittal on fraud charges with the people who had defended him at trial.

The luxury sailboat, off Porticello near Palermo, was some 50 metres underwater—far deeper than most recreational divers are certified for and a depth that requires special precautions. Recovery crews could only stay for 12-minute shifts, a measure that slowed their efforts to reach the cramped inside of the wreck.

The Bayesian, a 56-meter British-flagged yacht, was moored about a kilometer offshore when a storm rolled in before 4 am Monday. Civil protection officials said they believed the ship was struck by a tornado over the water, known as a waterspout, and sank quickly.