A British mother has recounted the terrifying moments when she held her one-year-old daughter above the water to save her from drowning after their luxury yacht sank off the coast of Sicily. The yacht, named Bayesian, was caught in a violent storm that left six people, including British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, missing and one man dead. Charlotte Golunski, along with her partner and daughter, were among the 15 people rescued from the wreckage early Monday morning.
A Desperate Fight for Survival
Charlotte described the nightmare scenario that unfolded in the early hours when the 56-meter yacht encountered a severe storm off the coast of Palermo. She told the Italian newspaper La Repubblica that her family survived only because they were on deck when the yacht started to sink. Awoken by the storm’s fury, which she likened to “the end of the world,” Charlotte and her family were thrown into the sea as the vessel succumbed to the elements.
“For two seconds I lost my daughter in the sea,” Charlotte recounted. “Then I quickly hugged her amid the fury of the waves.” She described the harrowing experience of holding her baby girl above the surface with all her strength, her arms stretched upwards to keep her from drowning. “It was all dark. In the water, I couldn’t keep my eyes open. I screamed for help, but all I could hear around me was the screams of others,” she added.
The Sinking of the Bayesian
The Bayesian was carrying 10 crew members and 12 passengers when it sank just half a mile off the coast of Palermo after the storm created waterspouts—rotating columns of air over the sea—that battered the yacht. The luxury vessel, which was designed for opulence and comfort, stood no chance against the violent forces of nature that struck it that night.
Charlotte, her partner, and their daughter were among the lucky ones who managed to climb into an inflatable lifeboat along with eight other survivors. They were unharmed but taken to a hospital for check-ups after their ordeal. The tragic event has left the small Sicilian port of Porticello reeling as rescue teams continue their search for the missing.
Eyewitness Accounts of the Disaster
The dramatic sinking of the yacht was witnessed by several people, including fishermen and other boat crews nearby. Karsten Borner, the captain of a nearby boat, recounted how his crew took on board some survivors who were floating in a life raft, including three who were seriously injured. “It all happened in really little time,” he told Italian news outlet Rai, describing how the yacht tipped to its side and sank within minutes.
Local fisherman Giuseppe was on a motorboat when he saw debris from the yacht floating in the sea. “Mats and T-shirts were floating in the sea,” he told Reuters, expressing the shock of seeing such a tragedy unfold.
Fabio Cefalù, the captain of a trawler, witnessed the storm’s power firsthand. He was about to embark on a fishing trip when he saw flashes of lightning and decided to stay in the harbor. “At about 4:15 a.m., we saw a flare in the sea,” he said, describing how he and others waited for the waterspout to pass before heading out to sea. “We saw cushions and all the rest of the boat [that had sunk], and everything which was on the deck, at sea. However, we did not see any people in the sea.”
Another fisherman, who chose to remain anonymous, described watching the yacht sink with his own eyes. Speaking to the Giornale di Sicilia, he said he was at home when the tornado hit. “Then I saw the boat, it had only one mast, it was very big,” he recalled. He hurried to the Santa Nicolicchia bay in Porticello, near Palermo, to get a better view. “The boat was still floating, then all of a sudden it disappeared. I saw it sinking with my own eyes.”
Ongoing Search and Rescue Efforts
As rescue teams continue their search for the missing individuals, the Sicilian port community is left grappling with the aftermath of the disaster. The sinking of the Bayesian has cast a shadow over the area, with many still in shock at the sudden and tragic loss of life.
Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding the yacht’s sinking, hoping to piece together the chain of events that led to such a catastrophic outcome. For Charlotte and the other survivors, the ordeal is a stark reminder of the unpredictable and often unforgiving nature of the sea.
