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Lynch family/Reuters
- British entrepreneur Mike Lynch drowned, as revealed by an inquest.
- Lynch, along with six others, perished when the superyacht Bayesian sank near Sicily.
- The founder of Autonomy, a software company established in 1996, sold it to HP for over $11 billion in 2011.
Tragic Incident at Sea
An inquest has confirmed that tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch drowned following the sinking of his superyacht, Bayesian, off Porticello’s coast in Sicily. This unfortunate event occurred during a severe storm last August and resulted in the deaths of seven individuals including his 18-year-old daughter Hannah.
Details from the Inquest
During a coroner’s court session held on Friday, UK police officer Mike Brown reported that drowning was provisionally determined as the cause of death for Lynch. The investigation into his daughter’s death remains ongoing. Among those who also lost their lives were Jonathan Bloomer—former chairman of Morgan Stanley International—and his wife Judy; both are still under investigation regarding their causes of death.
The inquiries into these four fatalities have been postponed until April 2025. Italian media outlets previously indicated that Jonathan and Judy Bloomer’s bodies exhibited signs suggesting they may have been trapped within air pockets before succumbing to suffocation. Additionally, Recaldo Thomas—a chef aboard the yacht—was likely another victim who drowned during this tragic incident according to investigative sources cited by Reuters last month.
Circumstances Surrounding the Sinking
Italian authorities have attributed the sinking to a ”downburst,” which is a powerful gust associated with thunderstorms. Following this disaster, three crew members were placed under scrutiny: Matthew Griffiths (the sailor on watch), James Cutfield (the captain), and Tim Parker Eaton (the yacht’s engineer).
A Legacy Remembered
Lynch was renowned for founding Autonomy back in 1996 before selling it to HP for an impressive sum exceeding $11 billion just fifteen years later. He was reportedly celebrating with friends and family aboard Bayesian after being acquitted from fraud charges related to Autonomy’s sale when this tragedy struck.
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