1 Dead, 6 Missing After Tornado Sinks Luxury Yacht

One person has died and six others were reported missing after a luxury superyacht was capsized by a tornado off the coast of Sicily early Monday (August 19) morning, the spokesperson for the Italian Coast Guard confirmed to CNN .

The tornado struck the 56-meter yacht known as the 'Bayesian' at around 5:00 a.m. local time when the vessel was anchored about a half mile from the port of Porticello. Fifteen people, including the ship's captain, were rescued from the scene and one child was reported to have been airlifted to a Palermo children's hospital.

The 'Bayesian' flew the British flag as it was mostly comprised of British passengers and crew, as well as two Anglo-French, one New Zealander, one Irish and one Sri Lanken, the spokesperson said. The six missing individuals were reportedly comprised of four Britons, two Americans and one Canadian passenger, according to the Guardian .

Twenty-two people were present on the boat at the time of the accident including 12 passengers and 10 crew members. The Italian Fire Brigade said its divers reached the hull of the yacht, which was located 160 feet below sea level, and dispatched helicopters for additional assistance during its ongoing search for the sunken ship and its passengers in a press statement obtained by CNN .