According to Italian media, the luxury 56-meter vessel was hit by a tornado. There were 22 people on board the yacht. A rescue operation is underway. The yacht capsized off the coast of Palermo around hours 5 a.m. local time. The vessel was sailing under the British flag, and in addition to British citizens, there were also citizens of New Zealand, Sri Lanka, two French citizens and an Irish citizen – says Sky News.
A luxury yacht sank off the coast of Palermo.
The media reports that among the rescued people is a one-year-old girl from England named Sophie. A helicopter and Coast Guard rescue boats responded to the scene. When divers entered the water, they found the man's body.
Six people are still missing. Most of the passengers were in their cabins when the tornado hit – 15 managed to get to the surface. The wind caused the moorings to snap and the mast to break. According to Italian media, the boat was anchored off the coast of Porticello when the storm hit. The wreck lies about 800m from the shore, in 49m of water. Sky News, citing the Italian news agency ANSA, reports that the boat is a luxury yacht called the Bayesian. According to The Superyacht Times, the £14 million vessel is one of the largest superyachts in the world.
The text is being updated.