5 bodies found in yacht wreckage off Sicily: Reports

( NewsNation ) — Five bodies have been found by divers who were searching the shipwreck of the British-flagged Bayesian superyacht off the coast of Sicily, according to published reports Wednesday.

The Daily Mail reported that two of the bodies appear to be those of U.K. tech magnate Mike Lynch and his daughter, Hannah, though authorities have not confirmed the identities of the bodies pulled from the wreckage. The newspaper initially reported that two bodies were located behind two mattresses and are believed to be those who were among the six people who were reported missing after the yacht sank.

Six people, i ncluding Lynch , were unaccounted for after the storm that created waterspouts sunk the yacht off the coast Monday.

A total of 22 people were aboard the yacht , which is owned by Lynch’s wife. The Associated Press reported that divers had found a total of five bodies by Wednesday afternoon.

The AP reported that rescue crews unloaded three body bags from rescue boats that pulled into port at Porticello. Salvatore Cocina, head of the Sicily civil protection agency, told reporters that two other bodies had also been found in the wreckage for a total of five. That would leave just one of the missing passengers to be recovered.

Investigators are working to determine why the yacht sunk so quickly during the storm.

The Daily Mail reported that the body of one of the passengers was brought to the shore before it was placed in an ambulance. The bodies are the second and third to be found after one person has already been confirmed dead.

The bodies were reportedly found in the hull of the boat. The gender of those found has not been revealed by investigators, the report said. However, one of the bodies was reportedly that of a “heavily built man,” The Daily Mail reported.

Investigators told NBC News on Wednesday that the recovery effort was proving challenging to divers, who only had about 10 minutes at a time to search the wreckage of the yacht due to its depth. NBC News reported that the vessel is tilted at a depth of around 167 feet of water.

Divers were forced to return to the surface after 10 minutes, the report indicated.

The wreck comes two months after a jury acquitted Lynch of fraud and conspiracy charges rooted in a multibillion-dollar 2011 business deal with Hewlett-Packard.

Along with Lynch, those who reported missing include Hannah Lynch, Morgan Stanley International Chair Jonathan Bloomer, and his wife Judy. Also reported missing were Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife, jewelry designer Neda Morvillo.

The Associated Press contributed to this report .

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