A body has been found after a luxury yacht – carrying Irish citizens and other tourists – sank in bad weather off the coast of Sicily, authorities have said.
Fifteen people were rescued from the 55m vessel but another six are still missing.
One of those missing has been named as technology tycoon Mike Lynch, the Essex-born son of a firefighter father from Co Cork and a nurse mother from Co Tipperary.
A body, believed to be that of the vessel’s chef, has been found and 15 people including Mr Lynch’s wife were rescued, according to local media.
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A baby and its mother was reportedly among those rescued and taken to hospital, according to Italian news outlet Corriere.
Four of the missing passengers are British and two are American, Italian news website la Reppublica stated.
Local media said a fierce storm, including water spouts, battered the area overnight.
The superyacht, named Bayesian, capsized at around 5am off Palermo and was flying a British flag, according to ship-tracking site Marine Traffic.
The body was found near the wreck at a depth of 50m, the fire and rescue services said.
The daily Il Giornale di Sicilia newspaper reported that the yacht had mostly British passengers on board, but also Irish citizens and people from New Zealand, Sri Lanka and British-French citizens.
Speaking earlier, Filippo Tripoli, the mayor of Bagheria in Sicily, said: “This morning, off the coast of Santa Flavia, a foreign boat sank due to bad weather, 15 people recovered and seven missing.
“Already all the police forces and emergency services are operational and our Red Cross volunteers are present.”
A spokeswoman for the Department of Foreign Affairs said the department is aware of the incident and is providing consular assistance.
“As with all consular cases, the department does not comment on the details of any specific case,” she said.
Karsten Borner, captain of a nearby boat, told journalists “a little baby and the wife of the owner” of the Bayesian were among the survivors, while those missing included the owner and a child, news agency Reuters reported.
He said his crew took on board some survivors who were on a life raft, including three who were seriously injured.
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.”
Bayesian completed a number of sailings in recent days, calling at various ports in Sicily, according to ship-tracking website VesselFinder.
The superyacht can accommodate up to 12 guests in six suites.
She was built in 2008 by Italian company Perini Navi. Her registered owner is listed as Revtom Ltd.
There is little publicly-available online information about the company, which appears to be based on the Isle of Man. – Agencies