British tech entrepreneur and American among the missing after a yacht sank off the Italian coast, killing at least 1 person

British technology entrepreneur Mike Lynch, also known as Britain's Bill Gates, and two Americans are among six people missing after a luxury superyacht sank off the coast of Italy, killing at least one man.

The 184-foot British-flagged ship Bayesian, carrying foreign tourists, capsized and sank in bad weather off Sicily early Monday morning. One body has been found, six people are still missing and 15 people have been rescued, including a one-year-old girl, authorities said.

The Italian coast guard said the sailboat capsized sometime after 5 a.m. off the port of Porticello, near Palermo, where it was anchored. On board were 10 crew members and 12 passengers, including British, Americans and Canadians.

“The wind was very strong. Bad weather was expected, but not to this extent,” a coast guard official in Palermo told Reuters.

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In recent days, Italy has been hit by storms and heavy rain. After weeks of scorching heat, floods and landslides caused major damage in the north of the country.

“We managed to keep the ship in position and when the storm passed, we noticed that the ship had disappeared behind us,” said Karsten Borner, the captain of a nearby boat. He turned on the engine to keep control of the ship and avoid a collision with the Bayesian, he told Reuters.

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Rescue workers carry a body bag after a sailboat sank off the coast of Porticello, near the Sicilian city of Palermo, Italy, in the early hours of Monday, August 19, 2024. (REUTERS/Igor Petyx)

Built in 2008 by Italian company Perini Navi, Bayesian was known for its 245-foot-tall mast, one of the tallest aluminum masts in the world. It was illuminated at night just hours before it sank. It is rented for up to $215,000 a week on online charter sites, The Associated Press reports.

The ship was found at a depth of 50 meters, Vigili del Fuoco said. Police deep-sea divers are trying to reach the hull, said Luca Cari, a spokesman for the Italian fire service.

The British ship Bayesian (left) and the Dutch sailboat Sir Robert Baden Powell are anchored off the Sicilian village of Porticello near Palermo in southern Italy on Sunday, August 18, 2024. (Fabio La Bianca/Baia Santa Nicolicchia via AP)

Eight of the 15 people rescued and brought ashore in Porticello were hospitalized.

One of the survivors, whose name was given only as Charlotte, said she briefly let go of her one-year-old daughter Sofia in the water but then managed to keep her above the waves until a lifeboat inflated and they were both taken to safety, Italian news agency ANSA reported, citing the mother.

Emergency and rescue services are working near the scene where a sailing boat sank off the coast of Porticello, near the Sicilian city of Palermo, Italy, in the early hours of Monday, August 19, 2024. (REUTERS/Igor Petyx)

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Fisherman Francesco Cefalu' said he saw a flare from the shore at around 4:30 a.m. and immediately headed for it. However, by the time he got there, the Bayesian had already sunk. Only cushions, wood and other items from the superyacht were floating in the water.

“I think they're inside, all the missing people,” he said.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.