The cause of death of tech billionaire Mike Lynch, who tragically died in the Bayesian superyacht disaster, has been recorded as drowning, according to an inquest held at Suffolk Coroner’s Court in Ipswich. The 59-year-old founder of Autonomy was one of seven people who lost their lives after the yacht sank off the coast of Sicily in August.
Lynch was on board the yacht with his 18-year-old daughter, Hannah Lynch, and other British victims, including Jonathan Bloomer, 70, the chairman of Morgan Stanley International, and his wife Judy Bloomer, 71. The inquest for all four victims has been opened and adjourned, with Suffolk Police confirming that further tests are being conducted to determine the cause of death for the Bloomers and Hannah Lynch.
The disaster occurred during a violent storm while the group was celebrating Lynch’s recent acquittal in a U.S. trial concerning allegations of fraud related to the sale of Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard (HP) in 2011. There were 22 people on board the yacht, and 15, including Lynch’s wife Angela Bacares, were rescued. Sadly, Lynch, his daughter, the Bloomers, U.S. lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda, as well as chef Recaldo Thomas, did not survive.
The Bayesian, a British-flagged vessel, reportedly sank rapidly between 4:15 am and 4:45 am, just 0.8 nautical miles off the coast of the village of Porticello. The UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch and Italian authorities have both launched investigations into the tragedy.
The inquest has been adjourned until April 15, 2024.
