Victims of Sicily Yacht Tragedy Formally Identified, Authorities Say Some Were Searching for Air Pockets in Final Moments

Mar. 15, 2025

Hannah (L) and Mike Lynch.Photo:FAMILY HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

FAMILY HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

The seven victims who died after a superyacht sank off the coast of Sicily have been formally identified.

At a press conference on Saturday, Aug. 24, Termini Imerese prosecutor, Ambrogio Cartosio, shared more information on the tragedy and named the bodies that had been recovered. That included chef Recaldo Thomas and the six other victims recovered in the days after the yacht sank on Aug. 19. He also confirmed that the final body recovered on Friday, Aug. 23 was that ofHannah Lynch, daughter of the British tech entrepreneur,Mike Lynch.

“On the 22nd [of August] we recovered the body of Michael Lynch, and on the 23rd we recovered the body of his 18-year-old daughter. Michael Lynch’s daughter is a young girl, who really affected everybody. It’s a very serious tragedy,” Cartosio said.

He also said that on Aug, 22, authorities recovered the bodies of prominent New York City attorneyChristopher Morvillo and his wife, Neda, and Morgan Stanley International chairmanJonathan Bloomer and his wife, Judy.

Jonathan (R) and Judy Bloomer.Family Handout/PA Wire

Family Handout/PA Wire

Girolamo Bentivoglio Fiandra, head of the Palermo Fire Brigade, spoke at the press conference and shared details of the final moments of some of the victims and where they were recovered.

“It was quite clear that people were trying to hide in the cabins. In the left-hand side, we found the first five bodies in the left-hand side cabins and the final body on the right-hand side. We found them on the highest part of the ship which was closer to the surface. The vessel had three cabins on each side.”

He also said that the five who “took refuge in the cabins on the left side of the sailboat,” had been “searching for air pockets.”

Recaldo Thomas.Recaldo Thomas/Facebook

Recaldo Thomas/Facebook

Lynch, 59, wasacquittedof fraud and conspiracy charges just two months before he went missing. Morvillo, also 59, worked on the case, and Bloomer, 70, was a close friend to Lynch.

A source close to the survivors tells PEOPLE passengers on the yacht were celebrating Lynch’s recent acquittal when the storm hit.

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Christopher Morvillo, who died in the Sicily yacht tragedy alongside his wife, Neda.Scott Eells/Bloomberg via Getty

Scott Eells/Bloomberg via Getty

Morvillo had previously worked as a federal prosecutor and “assisted in the criminal investigation arising out of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks,” among other trials, according to his biography on the Clifford Chance website. His wife was said to be a fine jewelry designer.

“Our thoughts are with our Partner, Christopher Morvillo, and his wife Neda who are among the missing, and with their families,” the spokesperson adds.

The Italian coast guard previously said 22 people were on theBayesian, including 12 passengers and 10 crew, when the ship sank. Fifteen people were rescued, including Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares.

Eight people were reportedly taken to local hospitals after they were rescued.

Local news reports statedthe body of a chef, Thomas, was found near the boat shortly after the storm subsided.

source: people.com