MEZIESBLOG

While 15 people have reportedly been rescued, six tourists remain missing.

Four of the missing passengers are British and two are American, Italian news website la Repubblica reported.

British technology tycoon Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter are among them.

Mr Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, was rescued, according to local media.

Mr Lynch founded software giant Autonomy in 1996 and was made an OBE for services to enterprise in 2006.

In June, he was cleared of conducting a massive fraud relating to an £8.64bn sale to US company Hewlett Packard.

Jonathan Bloomer, chairman of Morgan Stanley International, and Chris Morvillo, a lawyer at major firm Clifford Chance, are also missing, according to Salvo Cocina of Sicily’s civil protection agency.

Mr Bloomer is non-executive chairman of insurance group Hiscox, which confirmed his wife Judy was among the missing too.

The company said: “We are deeply shocked and saddened by this tragic event.

“Our thoughts are with all those affected, in particular our chair, Jonathan Bloomer, and his wife Judy, who are among the missing, and with their family as they await further news from this terrible situation.”

The Financial Times said Mr Bloomer appeared at trial as a defence witness for Mr Lynch, while other media reports suggest the pair are close friends.

A captain of a nearby boat, Karsten Borner, said those missing included the yacht’s owner and a child, news agency Reuters reported.

The yacht was carrying 10 crew members and 12 passengers.

A body, believed to be that of the vessel’s cook, has been discovered.

Lawyer invited on yacht for fraud case success

The father of one survivor says his daughter was invited onto the yacht as thanks for assistance in Mike Lynch’s recent court case.

Mr Lynch was cleared in June of conducting a massive fraud relating to an £8.64bn sale to US company Hewlett Packard.

Ayla Reynold, a New Zealand national working at the Clifford Chance legal firm, was among 15 people rescued.

Her father, Lin Ronald, told the Telegraph: “I have texted my daughter and she hasn’t given me any updates about missing personnel or saved personnel. She has only said that there are deaths and she and her partner are alive.

“Ayla is a lawyer who is part of the legal team that were invited to go sailing as a result of the success in the recent United States court case.”