The mother of a crew member who survived the sinking of a superyacht off the coast of Sicily has said she is “beyond relieved that my daughter’s life was spared by the grace of God”.
Leah Randall, from South Africa, was among the crew members who survived the sinking of the British-flagged yacht, called Bayesian, which had 10 crew and 12 passengers on board when it sank at about 5am local time on Monday.
The vessel was struck by a tornado off the coast of Palermo.
Superyacht sinks latest: British inspectors deployed to scene
While a huge search for six missing people – four of whom are British – continues, the body of the vessel’s Canadian-Antiguan chef, Recaldo Thomas, has been found, the Italian Coastguard confirmed on Tuesday evening.
Leah’s mum, Heidi, told Sky News she was “beyond relieved” to hear her “daughter’s life was spared by the grace of God”.
She added: “It doesn’t make it any easier living with the heartache of those who have lost their lives/missing.
“My very deepest condolences to the chef’s family as they formed a great friendship.”
British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah are among those still missing, while Mr Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, was rescued along with 14 others.
The search also continues for Jonathan Bloomer, chairman of Morgan Stanley International, Chris Morvillo, a lawyer at major firm Clifford Chance, and both of their wives – Judy Bloomer and Neda Morvillo.
A spokesperson for Morgan Stanley said they were “deeply shocked and saddened” and added: “Our thoughts are with all those affected, in particular the Bloomer family, as we all wait for further news from this terrible situation.”
UK insurer Hiscox, which Mr Bloomer also chaired, confirmed his wife was also among the missing on Tuesday.
A Clifford Chance spokesperson added its priority was “providing support to the family as well as our colleague Ayla Ronald, who together with her partner, thankfully survived the incident”.
Read more:
Who was on board superyacht that sank
Meanwhile, crew members Katja Chicken and Leo Eppel have been confirmed as survivors.
Survivors have been seen at the Di Cristina hospital in Palermo, while the coastguard said it believes Mr Lynch and the five others missing may still be inside the sunken yacht.
Salvo Cocina of Sicily’s civil protection agency said: “They were in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Mum held baby above water to save her
Among the survivors is 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 baby’s father James Emsley also survived, Salvo Cocina of Sicily’s civil protection agency said. According to her LinkedIn profile, Ms Golunski is a partner at Mr Lynch’s firm, called Invoke Capital.
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Lynch’s co-defendant killed in car accident
Mr Lynch, described as the British Bill Gates, was cleared earlier this year in a high-profile fraud case relating to 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.
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.”
Cambridgeshire Police said in a statement on Monday evening that the driver of the car, a 49-year-old woman from Haddenham, remained at the scene and is assisting with enquiries.
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Rescuers facing significant challenges
Divers have already made journeys underwater to search for the six missing people, Italian daily Giornale di Sicilia reports, but have been facing significant challenges in trying to access the yacht.
Emergency responder Luca Cari told the news outlet the divers “can stay underwater for a maximum of 12 minutes, two of which are needed to go up and down,” meaning “the real time to be able to carry out the search is 10 minutes per dive”.
He added divers had identified a glass window on the Bayesian from which they could enter but said: “The spaces inside the sailing ship are very small and if you encounter an obstacle it is very complicated to move forward, just as it is very difficult to find alternative routes.”
The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch said four of its inspectors have been deployed to Palermo for a preliminary assessment, while cave divers have joined the ongoing search.
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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.”
