Mike Lynch yacht latest: Bayesian captain describes sinking horror as divers struggle to get inside boat

Lawyer Chris Morvillo’s wife, Neda, is also missing it has now been reported by The Associated Press.

Mr Morvillo represented Mike Lynch in his case and has previously worked on other high-profile cases such as the criminal investigation surrounding the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.

Morgan Stanley, an investment bank, whose chairman Jonathan Bloomer is still missing has issued a statement this morning.

The spokesperson said: “We are deeply shocked and saddened by this tragedy. Our thoughts are with all those affected, in particular the Bloomer family, as we all wait for further news from this terrible situation.”

The family of Stephen Chamberlain, who was not on the yacht but was the co-defendant in Mike Lynch’s trial, have described him as “a much-loved husband, father, son, brother and friend”.

Cambridgeshire Constabulary confirmed that Mr Chamberlain was killed on Saturday after being hit by a car while out running in Cambridgeshire.

His family released a tribute to the 52-year-old via the police force, saying: “Steve was a much-loved husband, father, son, brother and friend. He was an amazing individual whose only goal in life was to help others in any way possible. He made a lasting impression on everyone who had the privilege of knowing him. He will be deeply missed but forever in the hearts of his loved ones.”

James Catfield, the captain of the yacht who is recovering at the Termini Imerese hospital has spoken to Italian media for the first time.

La Repubblica quotes just one sentence from Mr Catfield: “We didn’t see it coming.”

Tribute has been paid to Jonathan Bloomer, who is believed to be among the missing, from the insurer Hiscox that Mr Bloomer chairs.

Its CEO has confirmed that Bloomer and his wife Judy are among those still missing this morning.

Aki Hussain, Group Chief Executive Officer, Hiscox, said in a statement to The Independent: “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 luxury superyacht is “practically intact” on the seabed despite sinking, Marco Tilotta, a firefighter diver from Palermo, has told Italian newspaper Il Messaggero.

He said in an interview that the £30 million yacht was lying on its side at a depth of 48 metres, but that divers were unable to gain access because of floating furnishings and other debris inside the yacht.

He said: “When we went down to the water around 5:30 a.m., we found a yacht that was practically intact. It is resting on its side on the starboard side. It has no gashes, no signs of impact.’’

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch said four inspectors had been sent to Sicily to conduct a “preliminary assessment,” Reuters reported.

One expert at the scene who declined to be named said an early focus of the investigation would be whether the yacht’s crew had had time to close access hatches into the vessel before the storm struck.

The nearby captain of a Dutch-flagged vessel told the Reuters news agency that when the winds surged, he used the engine to keep his boat upright and avoid a collision with the Bayesian, which had been anchored alongside him.

“We managed to keep the ship in position and after the storm was over, we noticed that the ship behind us was gone,” Karsten Borner told journalists.

The other boat “went flat on the water, and then down”, he added.

He said his crew then found some of the survivors on a life raft – including a baby girl and her mother – and took them on board before the coast guard picked them up.

He added: “I think they are inside, all the missing people.”

One of the survivors, British tourist Charlotte Emsley, told la Republica: “I held her afloat with all my strength, my arms stretched upwards to keep her from drowning.

The daily Il Giornale di Sicilia newspaper reported that the vessel had mostly British passengers on board, but also people from New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Ireland and British-French citizens.

Jonathan Bloomer, chairman of Morgan Stanley International and Chris Morvillo, a lawyer at Clifford Chance who represented Lynch in a long-standing trial in the U.S., were among the missing.

The wives of both men were also unaccounted for, said Salvatore Cocina, head of Civil Protection in Sicily.

Reality star Gemma Collins has revealed that she and her nephew were “lucky to have survived” in a small boat rocked by the same horror storm that capsized Mike Lynch’s yacht off the coast of Sicily.

Mike Lynch, dubbed as Britain’s Bill Gates, is still missing presumed dead alongside his daughter, Hannah, 18, who had just completed her A-levels and was to read English at Oxford.

The Only Way is Essex star reassured her followers that she and 15-year-old nephew Hayden were both fine with an Instagram post featuring her posing on a yacht in the Mediterranean.

She wrote: “Holiday update. My heartfelt condolences to the people and families involved in the tragic disaster at sea in Sicily.”

“I was very lucky me and my nephew to have survived the storm at sea. I am shaken and returning to the UK tomorrow, god was on our side today. We was stuck for 4 hours can you imagine what was going through my mind. Thank you @bluediamondcruise for getting us back safely.”

Still missing is Christopher Morvillo, a top lawyer who has worked on high-profile corruption cases, including Mike Lynch’s recent trial.

The lawyer at the US branch of Clifford Chance and his wife Neda have not been seen since the Bayesian foundered off Palermo Monday morning after being caught in bad weather.

He also worked on the criminal investigation surrounding the 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, as an assistant US attorney for the southern district of New York from 1999 to 2005.

In a tragic final LinkedIn post Mr Morvillo thanked all the legal minds that had helped Mr Lynch win the fraud trial in June after a mammoth 10-year court battle. Signing off, he said: “And, finally, a huge thank you to my patient and incredible wife, Neda Morvillo, and my two strong, brilliant, and beautiful daughters, Sabrina Morvillo and Sophia Morvillo. None of this would have been possible without your love and support. I am so glad to be home. “And they all lived happily ever after….”