Mike Lynch yacht captain's chilling five words after tornado sinks Bayesian with six still missing

The skipper of the luxury yacht that went down near Sicily has spoken out , revealing a haunting admission. The search continued today for six holidaymakers - including billionaire Mike Lynch - still unaccounted for after their vessel, the Bayesian, encountered severe weather off Palermo's coast around 5am on Monday.

Fifteen out of the 22 people on board - one of whom is an Irish woman - were saved by getting to a lifeboat. Authorities found one casualty, believed to be the yacht's cook, at the site.

The UK-registered yacht was anchored about 700 metres from the shore when its mast broke amid the tempest , causing it to lose stability. Officials from the civil protection agency suspect that the yacht was hit by a waterspout.

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James Catfield, who helmed the €35 million yacht, starkly stated: "We didn't see it coming."

In Termini Imerese, a town in Sicily, Catfield appeared "limp" as he waited outside a hospital. He and four other survivors from the Bayesian were reportedly brought to the town.

Irish tech magnate Mike Lynch and his daughter Hannah, aged 18, are among those feared missing. Also unaccounted for are Lynch's solicitor Christopher Morvilla and his spouse Nada, along with Morgan Stanley International's chair Jonathan Bloomer and his partner Anne.

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Angela Bacares, wife of Lynch , and 14 others were miraculously saved from the calamity. Among those who made it out are: Irish national Sasha Murray, aged 29; 22-year-old French skipper Matthew Griffith; James Caulfield from New Zealand, who is 51; Ayla Ronald, a 36-year-old Londoner; and Myin Kyaw Htun, 39, hailing from Myanmar.

Italian search teams kicked off their hunt for the missing at around 6:30am local time today, as reported by La Repubblica. British sleuths are also gearing up to join the efforts upon their arrival in Palermo later on today.

This sorrowful event follows Lynch's earlier acquittal this year on charges of monumental fraud related to the sale of his software firm Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard in 2011.

In a separate tragedy, Stephen Chamberlain, Lynch's co-accused, was tragically killed by a car while jogging in Cambridgeshire on Saturday. Gary Lincenberg, the attorney for Mr Chamberlain, expressed in a statement to PA: "Our dear client and friend Steve Chamberlain was fatally struck by a car on Saturday while out running. He was a courageous man with unparalleled integrity. We deeply miss him."

"Steve fought successfully to clear his good name at trial earlier this year, and his good name now lives on through his wonderful family."

The yacht Bayesian had been active before the incident, docking at several Sicilian ports, as tracked by the maritime website VesselFinder.

The luxury superyacht, capable of hosting up to 12 guests in six suites, was available for hire at a staggering €195,000 per week. Constructed in 2008 by Italian firm Perini Navi, the vessel's registered owner is Revtom Ltd, a company based on the Isle of Man.