Inquest opening into the death of Suffolk tech tycoon Mike Lynch and daughter Hannah
Their bodies were recovered from the wreck of a sunken yacht off the coast of Sicily in August
An inquest is opening today into the deaths of Suffolk-based tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah, who died after a yacht they were on sank off the coast of Sicily.
The pair, alongside Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer, his wife Judy Bloomer, Clifford Chance, lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda were lost when the yacht sank at around 5am local time on Monday 19th August.
Of the 22 passengers and crew on board, 15 - including Mr Lynch's wife, Angela Bacares - were rescued after escaping onto a lifeboat.
Mr Lynch, who founded software giant Autonomy in 1996, was made an OBE for services to enterprise in 2006.
He was also named Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Suffolk back in 2014.
In June this year, he was cleared of conducting a massive fraud relating to an 11 billion dollar (£8.64 billion) sale to US company Hewlett Packard.
"We were aware something was very wrong"
The captain of a yacht, the Sir Robert BP, who helped to rescue them, described how those aboard his vessel spotted the distress flare set off from a life raft.
Karsten Borner said his crew noticed the Bayesian had disappeared before a passenger spotted the flare.
He told Sky News: "We couldn't see them any more and they disappeared from the radar, we were busy keeping our own ship sailing.
"We couldn't see the ship again so we were aware something was very wrong."
He said it was only when the tender set out that they found the life raft.
Mr Borner continued: "It turned out to be the life raft, a 12-person life raft with 15 people inside including one baby.
"They stepped over to our tender and we brought them back to our ship. There we took good care of them, gave them dry clothes, towels, blankets, tea and coffee and so on and took care of them."
In a previous statement, Mike and Hannah's family, who live in Suffolk, said: "The Lynch family is devastated, in shock and is being comforted and supported by family and friends.
"Their thoughts are with everyone affected by the tragedy. They would like to sincerely thank the Italian coastguard, emergency services and all those who helped in the rescue.
"Their one request now is that their privacy be respected at this time of unspeakable grief."