British tech CEO Mike Lynch’s ‘devastated’ family break silence after Bayesian yacht disaster
The teen daughter of British tech tycoon Mike Lynch’s was remembered as an intelligent, Oxford-bound student and “special friend” as news broke that her body had been recovered from the sunken Bayesian superyacht.
Hannah Lynch, 18, was the last remaining person still unaccounted for after the luxury yacht sank off the coast of Sicily in a freak waterspout storm on Monday.
Her body was pulled from the submerged hull by divers on Friday, one day after her mogul dad’s remains were recovered.
Friends of the teen immediately mourned the “warm and beautiful soul” and described her loss as “unbearable,” the Washington Post reported.
Hannah was “sincere, dedicated, fiercely intelligent and genuinely kind. I’ll always remember her smiling,” said Gracie Lea, one of her classmates from London’s elite Latymer Upper School.
One of the beloved teen’s teachers, Jon Mitropoulos-Monk, said the young woman “combined sky-high intellectual ability with warmth and enthusiasm.”
After acing her national exams, Hannah was set to study English at the University of Oxford, “a goal she had worked so hard towards,” the devastated teacher told the Washington Post.
“I taught Hannah for four years. I will remember her for what she taught me: kindness, compassion and commitment,” he added.
Other tributes quickly flowed in for the teen as friends, teachers and relatives lamented how the recent high school graduate had been “taken on the precipice of her life.”
“Hannah lived, loved, cared, thought and felt more deeply than anyone I have ever known. Growing up with her and being best friends has been the greatest privilege of my life,” her friend Angelica Read told the Telegraph.
“Hannah was charming and ferociously intelligent with an insatiable thirst for life and knowledge. She was also warm, loving and deeply considerate; remarkably for her age,” added Patrick Jacob, a friend of the Lynch family.
Sushovan Hussain, a close friend of Hannah’s father, also paid tribute.
“We have known Hannah since her birth, and for her to be taken on the precipice of her life is cruel beyond belief,” he told the outlet.
Earlier on Friday, the Lynch family issued their first statement since the shocking sinking.
“The Lynch family is devastated, in shock and is being comforted and supported by family and friends,” a spokesperson said.
“Their thoughts are with everyone affected by the tragedy. They would like to sincerely thank the Italian coast guard, emergency services and all those who helped in the rescue.”
In addition to the bodies of Mike and Hannah Lynch, divers also retrieved the remains of New York attorney Christopher Morvillo and his wife, Neda, as well as Morgan Stanley exec Jonathan Bloomer and his wife, Judy.
Search teams had discovered the body of the on-ship chef, Ricardo Thomas, shortly after the Bayesian sank around dawn on Monday.
The doomed voyage was intended to be a celebration of Mike Lynch’s acquittal in the United States on fraud charges related to the 2011 sale of his software company, Autonomy.
Morvillo represented Lynch in the case, which was tried in San Francisco in June.
Lynch’s wife – and Hannah’s mother – Angela Bacares was one of 15 passengers and crew who managed to escape the ship before it was too late.