The seven victims who died after a superyacht sank off the coast of Sicily have been formally identified.
At a press conference on Saturday, Aug. 24, Termini Imerese prosecutor, Ambrogio Cartosio, shared more information on the tragedy and named the bodies that had been recovered. That included chef Recaldo Thomas and the six other victims recovered in the days after the yacht sank on Aug. 19. He also confirmed that the final body recovered on Friday, Aug. 23 was that of Hannah Lynch, daughter of the British tech entrepreneur, Mike Lynch.
“On the 22nd [of August] we recovered the body of Michael Lynch, and on the 23rd we recovered the body of his 18-year-old daughter. Michael Lynch’s daughter is a young girl, who really affected everybody. It’s a very serious tragedy,” Cartosio said.
He also said that on Aug, 22, authorities recovered the bodies of prominent New York City attorney Christopher Morvillo and his wife, Neda, and Morgan Stanley International chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife, Judy.
Family Handout/PA Wire
Girolamo Bentivoglio Fiandra, head of the Palermo Fire Bridgade, spoke at the press conference and shared details of the final moments of some of the victims and where they were recovered.
“It was quite clear that people were trying to hide in the cabins. In the left-hand side we found the first 5 bodies in the left-hand side cabins, and the final body on the right-hand side. We found them on the highest part of the ship which was closer to the surface. The vessel had three cabins on each side.”
He also said that the five who “took refuge in the cabins on the left side of the sailboat,” had been “searching for air pockets.”
Recaldo Thomas/Facebook
Lynch, 59, was acquitted of fraud and conspiracy charges just two months before he went missing. Morvillo, also 59, worked on the case, and Bloomer, 70, was a close friend to Lynch.
A source close to the survivors tells PEOPLE passengers on the yacht were celebrating Lynch’s recent acquittal when the storm hit.
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Morvillo had previously worked as a federal prosecutor and “assisted in the criminal investigation arising out of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks,” among other trials, according to his biography on the Clifford Chance website. His wife was said to be a fine jewelry designer.
“We are in shock and deeply saddened by this tragic incident,” a spokesperson for the lawfirm says in a statement to PEOPLE.
“Our thoughts are with our Partner, Christopher Morvillo, and his wife Neda who are among the missing, and with their families,” the spokesperson adds.
The Italian coast guard previously said 22 people were on the Bayesian, including 12 passengers and 10 crew, when the ship sank. Fifteen people were rescued, including Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares.
Eight people were reportedly taken to local hospitals after they were rescued.
Local news reports stated the body of a chef, Thomas, was found near the boat shortly after the storm subsided.
