Europe

Captain: Doomed Superyacht ‘Went Flat’ as Tornado Struck

LIFESAVER

Karsten Borner’s vessel was nearby when he saved 15 tourists from the sinking Bayesian.

A scuba diver in red jumps into the ocean
Vigili del Fuoco/Handout/Reuters

A boat captain who helped save 15 tourists from a superyacht that sunk off the coast of Sicily has told how it “went flat on the water and then down.” Karsten Borner’s Dutch sailing yacht, the Sir Robert BP, was anchored close to the Bayesian when the maritime equivalent of a tornado ripped through the water. Borner told The Sun, “We managed to keep the ship in position, and after the storm was over, we noticed that the ship behind us was gone.” He and his crew spotted a flare and rising smoke then a life raft drifting with 15 people, including a 1-year-old baby. Borner called the Italian coast guard and rushed out to guide the raft back to safety. The sunken superyacht’s owner, billionaire tech investor Mike Lynch is missing, feared dead, as is his 18-year-old daughter Hannah along with two other Americans and two Brits.

Read it at The Sun