Mike Lynch yacht latest: Survivors could be alive inside Bayesian due to ‘air pockets’ as divers enter hull

Mike Lynch’s daughter 18-year-old Hannah is one of the six people missing.

Her former school, Latymer Upper School in Hammersmith, west London, has released a statement saying they are “shocked” by the news.

It reads: “We are all incredibly shocked by the news that Hannah and her father are among those missing in this tragic incident and our thoughts are with their family and everyone involved as we await further updates.”

Two more survivors have been named by Sky News as Leah Randall and Katja Chicken.

The broadcaster says they are both South African and worked as crew members on the Bayesian.

Recaldo Thomas is understood to be the superyacht’s chef and the sole person whose death has been confirmed.

The Palermo Port Authority told Canadian broadcaster CBC News the body of Thomas Recaldo, a Canadian-born man who had been living in Antigua, had been recovered from the wreckage.

The BBC and some Italian newspapers reported his name as Ricardo Thomas.

Tributes have been pouring in on Facebook. With one saying: “Rest in Power big man. You always loved this pic of you. I don’t know what else to say except I love you, and I always will.”

Another wrote: “Going to miss you so much Recaldo Thomas still finding this so hard to believe.”

Charlotte Golunsky, her husband, James Emsley, and their baby daughter, Sofia, left the Di Cristina Children’s Hospital in a black van via a back entrance today.

They were accompanied by an officer from the British embassy, who covered the family’s faces with a jacket to hide them from a huddle of photographers.

The Italian coastguard says it’s struggling to imagine a positive outcome.

Frigate Captain Vincenzo Zagarola told Italian radio station RTL 102.5: “Given the time that has passed and the circumstances of the event, it is naturally difficult to imagine that things can go well but we are not giving up, so we are busy [searching for them] with naval and air resources.”

Divers have managed to open a hole in the hull of the sunken superyacht, according to Italian media, as the desperate search for the missing continues.

Until the hole was made, the ship appeared to be fully intact, Marco Tilotta, inspector of the Palermo Fire Department’s diving unit, told Il Messaggero. Divers are quickly trying to access Bayesian’s cabins as they believe that boat owner Mike Lynch and others are likely “still inside the boat”, Italian coast guard spokesperson Vincenzo Zagarola told PA.

He continued: “We think they are still inside the boat, that is our very hard idea. Our search and rescue activity by sea and air has gone on for around 36 hours.”

Marco Tilotta, a diver from Vigili del Fuoco di Palermo who is coordinating the search and rescue, said divers have just 10 minutes per dive to search the wreck.

He said they always hope to find people alive, but the conditions below the water are “prohibitive”.

He explained that with the time it takes to dive down to the wreck and ascend again, they have just 10 minutes per dive to search the wreck.

Speaking with Italian newspaper Giornale Di Sicilia he said: “They can stay underwater for a maximum of 12 minutes, two of which are needed to go up and down.”

Mike Lynch and the five others missing are believed to still be inside the Bayesian, according to the Italian coast guard.

Vincenzo Zagarola was asked about the likelihood of them being alive. He said: “Never say never, but reasonably the answer should be not.”

Speaking with the PA news agency, Mr Zagarola said this was because the yacht sank in just a few minutes and search and rescue teams are unable to find the missing bodies.

He said: “We think they are still inside the boat, that is our very hard idea. Our search and rescue activity by sea and air has gone on for around 36 hours. Of course, we do not exclude that they are not inside the boat, but we know the boat sank quickly. We suppose that the six people missing may not have had time to get out of the boat.”

The missing tourists are Mr Lynch; his daughter, Hannah Lynch; Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer; his wife, Judy Bloomer; Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo; and his wife, Neda Morvillo.

Fifteen people managed to escape the tragic yacht before it capsized and the body of one person who died was swiftly recovered.

This leaves divers searching for the remaining six passengers unaccounted for – Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter, Morgan Stanley International non-executive chairman Jonathan Bloomer, Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo, and their two wives Judy and Neda.

Law firm Clifford Chance has confirmed two of its colleagues were on the yacht when it sunk.

Christopher Morvillo, who is a partner at the firm’s US branch, along with his wife Neda are among the missing, a spokesperson confirmed to The Independent.

Ayla Ronald, together with her partner, “thankfully” survived the incident.

They both worked on Mike Lynch’s US fraud trial.

The full statement read: “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.”