Six missing and one confirmed dead after a tornado sinks £14 million superyacht off the coast of Sicily.
The yacht, named Bayesian, has sunk off the coast of Palermo in Sicily, Italy at 5am this morning. It was believed to have been flooded with water following a tornado off the coast of Porticello, near Palermo.
22 people were aboard the boat, 15 of whom have been rescued by the Coast Guard and Fire Department and have been taken to hospital.
The Italian Port Authority has confirmed that seven people were reported missing and one man has since been confirmed dead and pulled from the water.
It is understood that many of the passengers were British nationals, four of which still remain missing. The yacht’s chef is also among those still missing.
A one-year-old girl was among the passengers rescued by authorities, currently being treated in Palermo Children’s Hospital with her mother.
Her mother spoke about rescuing her young child saying: “For two seconds I lost the baby in the sea, then I immediately hugged her again amidst the fury of the waves.”
“I held her tightly, close to me, while the sea was stormy. Many were screaming.”
“Luckily the lifeboat inflated and 11 of us managed to get on board”
Divers have already dived to inspect the hull which now lies 49 metres below the surface, about a half mile from the coast.
