Tech giant Mike Lynch missing after yacht sinks off Italian coast

Rescue crews pulled 15 people from the water after the yacht sank early Monday morning off the coast of Porticello just outside Palermo, according to the Italian National Fire Brigade. Rescuers recovered the body of one man, believed to be a passenger. Lynch and five others are still unaccounted for. Divers, a motorboat, and a helicopter are searching on the surface, the brigade said. More divers are coming from coastal cities across southern Italy to search the sunken vessel, which is located more than 160 feet underwater, the brigade added. The Italian Coast Guard is deploying its naval and air resources to aid in the search, according to a statement from the branch. Lynch made headlines after his fraud acquittal earlier this summer. The New York Times described the case as one of the biggest fraud cases in Silicon Valley history.

How did the boat sink? The 184-foot yacht, Bayesian, sank after a sudden storm hit the area, according to initial statements from authorities. An eyewitness reported seeing a type of miniature tornado known as a waterspout just off the Porticello shore just before seeing a flare launched from the water, according to a local news outlet. The witness visited the site of the flare and found only cushions and deck planks which prompted him to contact authorities, according to the report.