At least one person died after a yacht sank off the Italian coast, with British and American individuals among the missing.
Two Americans are missing after a Bayesian yacht sinks off the coast of Sicily.
A British tech entrepreneur, dubbed "Britain's Bill Gates," and two Americans are among the six individuals missing after a luxury superyacht sank off the coast of Italy, resulting in the death of at least one person.
On Monday, a 184-foot British-flagged ship carrying foreign tourists capsized and sank off Sicily due to bad weather. One body was discovered, six individuals are still missing, and 15 people were rescued, including a 1-year-old girl, according to authorities.
The sailboat capsized after 5 a.m. near Palermo, with 22 people on board, including British, American and Canadian nationals.
A coast guard official in Palermo informed Reuters that the wind was extremely strong, despite the expectation of bad weather, it was not anticipated to be of this intensity.
In recent days, Italy has experienced heavy rainfall and storms, resulting in floods and landslides that have caused significant damage in the north of the country, following weeks of intense heat.
Karsten Borner, captain of a nearby boat, said that he turned the engine on to keep control of the vessel and avoid a collision with the Bayesian after noticing that the ship behind him was gone.
The 246-foot aluminum mast of Bayesian, constructed in 2008 by Perini Navi, was one of the tallest in the world and was illuminated at night. It sank just hours after being lit up, according to The Associated Press. Online charter sites list it for rent for up to $215,000 per week.
The hull of the vessel was discovered 164-feet deep, Luca Cari, a spokesperson for the Italian fire rescue service, stated.
At Porticello, 15 people were rescued and eight of them were taken to the hospital.
Charlotte, one of the survivors, stated that she momentarily lost her grip on her 1-year-old daughter Sofia in the water but managed to keep her afloat until a lifeboat arrived and they were rescued, according to ANSA, citing the mother.
At approximately 4:30 a.m., fisherman Francesco Cefalu' claimed to have witnessed a flare from the shore and promptly headed to the location. However, by the time he arrived, the Bayesian had already sank, leaving only cushions, wood, and other items from the superyacht floating in the water.
"He stated that he believed all the missing individuals were within, based on his thoughts," said he.
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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