The search for six people missing after a superyacht sank during a tornado off the coast of Sicily has entered its second day. The superyacht had 22 crew members on board when it set sail.
The incident has left survivors and their families in shock, while rescue efforts continue.
Survivors who escaped on a life raft, were rescued by a nearby boat. The life raft was later photographed in the harbour at Porticello, Sicily. Karsten Borner, the captain of the boat that found the survivors, described the situation as “awful and traumatic.” His crew brought the survivors on board until further help arrived.
One of the survivors, Leah Randall, was seen leaving the coastguard headquarters yesterday with fellow crew member Katja Chicken.
Leah’s mother, Heidi Randall, expressed her immense relief that her daughter was spared, saying, “I’m beyond relieved that my daughter’s life was spared by the grace of God. It doesn’t make it any easier living with the heartache of those who have lost their lives or are missing. My deepest condolences to the chef’s family as they formed a great friendship.”
The Italian coastguard confirmed the names of some of the rescued crew members, including Leo Eppel, who was also working on the yacht.
The body of the vessel’s Canadian-Antiguan chef, Recaldo Thomas, has been found, the Italian Coastguard confirmed.
British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah are among those still missing, while Mr Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, was rescued along with 14 others.
The search for the missing continues as questions and conspiracy theories about the disaster arise.
