1.52pm: Clifford Chance releases statement
Clifford Chance, the London-based law firm that employs missing lawyer Chris Morvillo, has released a statement.
Morvillo and wife Neda are among the six still missing following a freak yachting accident off the coast of Sicily. British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch and his daughter are part of the missing six.
Clifford Chance said: "We are in shock and deeply saddened by this tragic incident.
"Our thoughts are with our partner, Christopher Morvillo, and his wife, Neda, who are among the missing.
"Our utmost priority is providing support to the family as well as our colleague Ayla Ronald, who together with her partner thankfully survived the incident.
"Our thoughts extend to the other passengers and crew and all those affected.
"We have no further comment at this time. We, and the families, ask that their request for privacy is honoured during this period."
11am: The missing six
The search continues for six missing passengers who were onboard the 'Bayesian' luxury yacht that capsized off the coast of Sicily on Monday.
Alongside British tech tycoon Mike Lynch, the missing six include:
- Lynch's daughter Hannah
- Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) (Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS)) International chairman Jonathan Bloomer
- Bloomer's wife Judy
- Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo
- Morvillo's wife
Lynch's wife Angela Bacares has reportedly been rescued alongside 14 others.
One body has been recovered, named as the yacht's cook Ricardo Thomas.
9.52am: Chamberlain ‘was much loved by his colleagues’
British cybersecurity firm Darktrace PLC (LSE:DARK) has paid tribute to its former chief operating officer Stephen Chamberlain, who died after being struck by a car on Saturday.
Chamberlain was also the vice president of finance at Autonomy and served as a co-defendant alongside British tech tycoon Mike Lynch in a high-profile fraud trial.
In comments published by The Telegraph, a Darktrace spokesman said: “We are incredibly saddened to hear of the tragic death of Steve Chamberlain, Darktrace’s former Chief Operating Officer and a substantial contributor to the team in its early years.
“Steve was much loved by his colleagues and leaves many friends at Darktrace. We extend our deepest condolences to his wife, Karen, and the rest of his family who are very much in our thoughts at this challenging time.”
Chamberlain’s former colleague Lynch remains unaccounted for after a superyacht capsized off the coast of Sicily on Monday. Lynch’s daughter is also among the six missing.
Insurance company Hiscox, whose chairman Jonathan Bloomer (also the chairman of Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) International) is among the missing, released this statement: “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.”
9.32am: What is a waterspout?
The sinking of the superyacht containing 22 people including British tech tycoon Mike Lynch has been attributed to a rare phenomenon called a ‘waterspout’.
According to The National Ocean Service in the US, a waterspout “is a whirling column of air and water mist”.
They can be classified as either fair weather or tornadic waterspouts.
Given the sinking of the 56-metre-long vessel in which six passengers, including Lynch and his daughter, remain missing, it is likely that the yacht encountered the latter.
A waterspout forming in Issyk Kul lake, Kyrgyzstan – Credit: Shutterstock
“Tornadic waterspouts are tornadoes that form over water, or move from land to water,” says the National Ocean Service.
“They have the same characteristics as a land tornado. They are associated with severe thunderstorms, and are often accompanied by high winds and seas, large hail, and frequent dangerous lightning.”
9.14am: Lynch’s co-defendant confirmed dead
In a separate tragic incident, Lynch’s co-defendant in the Autonomy scandal, Stephen Chamberlain, died on Saturday after being hit by a car in Cambridgeshire.
Chamberlain, who was the vice president of finance at Autonomy, was reportedly out running when the fatal collision occurred.
Lynch and Chamberlain faced accusations of criminal activity in the sale of Lynch’s technology company Autonomy to HP for $11 billion in 2011.
HP subsequently wrote down the value of Autonomy by $8.8 billion a year after the purchase and accused Lynch and his partners of artificially inflating the firm’s value.
Both Lynch and Chamberlain were acquitted of wrongdoing this June, allowing Lynch to return to British soil after being extradited in 2023.
Upon returning to the UK, Lynch launched a campaign against unfair UK-US extradition laws.
Lynch and his daughter remain missing after a superyacht capsized off the coast of Sicily on Monday.
Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) International chair Jonathan Bloomer and Chris Morvillo, a lawyer at Clifford Chance who represented Lynch in a US trial, are also among the missing, as are both of their partners.
22 people in total were on the yacht, reportedly to celebrate Lynch’s exoneration.
7am: Lynch still missing
British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, his 18-year-old daughter and four others remain missing after a luxury yacht capsized off the coast of Sicily on Monday.
The British-flagged ‘Bayesian’, a 56-metre-long sailboat, which was carrying 22 people, was anchored just off the port of Porticello when it was hit by ferocious weather.
Jonathan Bloomer, chairman of Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) International, and Chris Morvillo, a lawyer at Clifford Chance who represented Lynch in a US trial, are also among the missing, as are both of their partners.
Specialist divers reached the ship on Monday at a depth of around 50 metres, but access was limited due to obstructions, according to the fire brigade.
Lynch's wife Angela Bacares, who is named as the boat’s owner, was among 15 people to escape before the boat started sinking.
Rescue teams have reportedly recovered the body of the yacht's chef, identified as Antiguan citizen Ricardo Thomas.
This story is developing